Police, fire fighters and National Forensic Service investigators arrive at a lithium battery factory that went up in flames in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province to conduct a joint investigation, Tuesday, into the cause of the fire that broke out the previous day killing 23 workers. Joint Press Corps

A devastating fire at a Korean lithium battery factory claimed the lives of 23 workers. The fact that 18 of the victims were foreign nationals highlights the harsh working conditions and exploitative contracts endured by migrant laborers, activists said, Tuesday.

The incident, one of the worst industrial accidents in the nation's history, could also be the deadliest single workplace disaster in terms of migrant worker fatalities.

The blaze erupted at the plant operated by Aricell in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, at around 10:30 a.m., Monday, with 102 employees present at the time. According to rescue authorities, 23 people died — five Koreans, 17 Chinese nationals and one Laotian. Of the five Koreans, one was a naturalized Korean originally from China. The fire authorities revised their earlier announcement from Monday regarding the victims' nationalities, clarifying that not all 20 were foreign nationals.

Udaya Rai, a Nepalese worker-turned-activist who has lived in Korea for over two decades, described this as the deadliest tragedy for migrant workers in recent memory. He also heads the Migrants' Trade Union.

"I remember previous incidents where one or two foreign nationals were involved in workplace accidents or fires, but the loss of over a dozen migrant workers is devastating news for our community," Rai told The Korea Times.

He pointed out that the migrant workers may have failed to evacuate promptly after the fire broke out, noting that mandatory safety education sessions for foreign workers in factories are often skipped due to negligent employers citing language barriers, although officials at Aricell claim they provided sufficient safety education.

"No one should lose their life on the job, regardless of nationality — whether Korean or foreign. But unfortunately, foreigners are often treated as tools, not human beings. Employers care more about how fast they can work, not about safety measures or fire evacuation plans," he said.

Government data show that over 900,000 migrant workers, primarily from Southeast Asian nations and ethnic Koreans of Chinese descent, are currently employed across various sectors, predominantly in agriculture, manufacturing, construction and fisheries, taking on jobs that are largely shunned by Koreans.

However, due to a lack of regulations and monitoring, foreign workers are more prone to occupational accidents and fatalities than their Korean counterparts.

According to a 2022 report by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, while the total number of occupational deaths decreased from 1,114 in 2010 to 855 in 2019, fatalities among foreign workers increased from 78 to 104 during the same period. These accounted for 7 percent of the total deaths in 2010 but rose to 12.2 percent in 2019.

Furthermore, as of 2020, the occupational fatality rate among migrant workers was 1.39 per 10,000 individuals, significantly higher than the general rate of 0.07 for all employed persons.

Firefighters inspect a battery plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday, after a fire broke out the previous day. Joint Press Corps

The migrant workers who were killed in the fire were found to be temporary employees hired through subcontracting, rather than regular employees. This factor appeared to have exacerbated the situation.

"Most of the foreign workers were found to be temporary workers hired by subcontractors. This likely worsened the impact because they were unfamiliar with the factory's layout and emergency procedures," Cho Seon-ho, head of Gyeonggido Fire Services, said.

Attorney Choi Jeong-gyu at law firm Wongok, specializing in migrant-related cases, said the fire disaster exposed Korea's widespread illegal outsourcing practices which primarily affect foreign workers.

"At the battery factory, the migrant workers were assigned inspection and packaging duties — roles which, under the Act on the Protection of Temporary Agency Workers, should not be outsourced to temporary workers," the lawyer explained.

But such unlawful practices are prevalent, Choi said, as manufacturing companies often opt for cheap migrant labor hired through brokers to cut down on labor costs.

"The problems linked to illegal outsourcing involving foreign workers has been repeatedly raised, yet the government has turned a blind eye to the issue," he added.

Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming visits the site of a massive fire that broke out at a lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Yonhap

The Chinese Embassy in Korea said it is closely collaborating with local authorities regarding the Chinese nationals killed in the fire. An embassy official said, Tuesday, that they have not yet received detailed identification of the victims, expressing uncertainty about how many of them were ethnic Koreans, commonly known as "Joseonjok."

Hours after the fire broke out, Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming visited the site to see the emergency services' efforts and subsequent measures.

"Xing urged the Korean side to determine the cause of the accident as soon as possible, deal with the aftermath properly, and provide all necessary support to the families of the Chinese victims," the embassy said in a statement released on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it will closely cooperate with related embassies in Korea to assist the foreign victims and their families.

However, identifying the foreign victims and notifying their families is expected to be a lengthy process due to the severe damage to the bodies of the deceased victims.

The Ministry of Labor and Employment confirmed to The Korea Times that there were no E-9 visa holders among the migrant workers at Aricell. The E-9 visa is specifically for non-professional work and is offered to foreign nationals for employment in Korea.

This suggests that the deceased Chinese workers were likely H-2 visa or F-4 visa holders, the types granted to ethnic Koreans. The ministry could not confirm whether any of the victims were undocumented, stating that a detailed announcement will be made after the identification process has been completed.

Officers conduct an investigation at a fire-hit lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps