Another migrant worker dies in Korea’s heat wave. How many more deaths go uncounted?
On July 25, an ambulance rushed to Hwangsan township in Haenam County, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, where 37-year-old Thai migrant worker Nakhon Saensawat lay dead on a scorching asphalt road. The temperature outside exceeded 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), making accurate measurement of Nakhon's body temperature impossible.
The Thai national, who had arrived in Korea only six days prior, had suffered heatstroke. Despite urgent medical attention, Nakhon's heart stopped en route to the hospital, and he could not be resuscitated. Out of the 30 heat-related deaths in Korea this summer, Nakhon's was not counted among them. Migrant workers, including Nakhon, often fall below the radar and are left exposed to extreme heat conditions.
Statistics Korea, which tracks cause of death for Korean nationals, does not include deaths of undocumented migrant workers, making their fate even more obscure.
Written by urgent.news from The Hankyoreh's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
