Subtitled News: "He Won't See His Baby Due in Two Weeks"... Outcry Over Unlicensed Forklift Operation

A 20-something worker has died in a forklift rollover accident at a supermarket in Jeju.

Allegations have been raised that the worker was forced into the task despite not having a forklift license. The victim, who married earlier this year, was an expectant father whose child is due in just two weeks.

The accident occurred around 3:30 p.m. on June 19 in the underground parking lot of a Nonghyup Hanaro Mart in Aewol-eup, Jeju City, when a forklift driven by a 20-something contract worker, identified as A, overturned and pinned him underneath.

It is reported that the accident happened while A had briefly stepped off the forklift.

A was rushed to the hospital immediately after the accident but ultimately passed away.

The Jeju branch of the Korean Mart Industry Union, affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), issued a statement saying, "A serious industrial accident has occurred in which a young worker in Jeju, who married earlier this year and was expecting a child in two weeks, lost his life in a forklift rollover." They claimed, "The deceased, A, was assigned to the task without a forklift license."

The union also revealed that "A had requested to be excluded from the work shortly before the accident due to a leg injury, but the request was not accepted," and emphasized, "The circumstances under which he was assigned to the task must be disclosed to the bereaved family."

The union has called for a special labor inspection by relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the establishment of measures to prevent recurrence.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Choi Gang-san | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.