'Pyeongtaek Semiconductor Construction Site' Young Man in 20s Assaulted with Soju Bottle, 45 Stitches Required

A man in his 20s working at a semiconductor construction site in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, has claimed that he was assaulted with a soju bottle by a senior employee and was dismissed without recognition of industrial accident, causing shock.

According to JTBC's "Incident Report" broadcast on the 25th, the informant, Mr. A, has been working at various companies at the Samsung semiconductor site since he was discharged from military service in June 2023. Since December of last year, he has been involved in welding and plumbing assistant work.

The incident occurred on March 5 during a company dinner organized by the team leader. Mr. A had a light verbal dispute with a colleague in his 40s with whom he was close, and stepped away briefly to smoke. However, upon returning, a senior employee in his 50s suddenly struck him on the head with a soju bottle. Following this, the man attacked Mr. A’s neck and face with the broken bottle, leaving him with deep wounds to his ear, jaw, and neck.

Mr. A underwent surgery requiring 45 stitches and was diagnosed with a three-week recovery period. He was also informed that scar treatment could take over a year.

Currently, the assailant has been arrested and indicted on charges of special injury and is undergoing trial. Mr. A is also considering filing a civil lawsuit after the criminal trial.

"Industrial accident is considered a private gathering" … Claims of pressure to resign

The problem arose afterwards. Shortly after the incident, Mr. A requested that the company handle his case as an industrial accident and for sick leave, but the company allegedly rejected this claim, stating that "a company dinner is a private gathering."

Subsequently, the company demanded Mr. A submit his resignation multiple times, and despite his refusal, the dismissal was carried out.

Mr. A confirmed that he had already lost his employment status with the National Health Insurance Corporation as of March 6, the day after the incident. He expressed, "This means that by the time I was advised to resign, the resignation process had already been completed."

In response, the company stated through the media, "Mr. A indicated he wanted to take a break for treatment, and the resignation process was carried out at his request."

However, Mr. A countered, saying, "I have neither submitted a resignation letter nor indicated that I wanted to resign." He maintains that they only discussed the possibility of industrial accident and sick leave about two days after the incident.

Currently, Mr. A has filed a request for relief with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, arguing that his dismissal was unjust.

Image source: jtbc 'Incident Report', reference material for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank