"Controversy Over Death of Yongin Golf Course Employee After Two Weeks of Daily Overtime"

After Two Weeks of Intense Work, Course Maintenance Staff Unable to Get Up in Dormitory
Golf Course Officials "Awaiting Autopsy Results to Determine Death by Overwork"

Exterior view of ㅅCC located in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, where suspicions have arisen that a golf course employee died from overwork due to unreasonable work orders. Photo by the golf course's official website capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Controversy is brewing inside and outside the related industry over the death of an employee at a golf course in the Seoul metropolitan area. In particular, the golf course employees strongly opposed, saying that overwork due to excessive workload was the direct cause of the death. The golf course side said it would wait for the autopsy results to determine whether it was a death from overwork.

According to the National Labor Equality Labor Union (Chairman Moon Hyun-gun) on the 7th, Kim Mo (52), a union member of the ㅅCC branch located in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, was found dead in his lodging on the 29th of last month.

According to the union, the golf course where the deceased union member worked recently saw a surge in users due to COVID-19. During this process, the golf course continuously assigned Kim, who was in charge of course maintenance due to facility construction work, ongoing tasks. It is reported that Kim suffered from heavy workloads, working overtime every day for two weeks before his death.

The union claimed, "The management ignored the voices from the field, being obsessed only with profit-making despite knowing that the health rights of on-site workers were being infringed due to overwork." They added, "Our labor brother and head of a household, who returned to the dormitory after long hours of work and fell asleep, ultimately did not wake up and passed away."

Kim’s family consists of his wife (in her 40s), a son (19), and a daughter (16). With Kim’s death, his wife, who works at a golf course in Gyeongsangnam-do, is now in a position to support the household. The exact time of Kim’s death and whether it was due to overwork will be revealed through the autopsy results by the investigation authorities.

A view of ㅅCC located in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by the golf course's official website capture.

The union stated, "A once harmonious family has been engulfed in a sorrowful atmosphere overnight," and emphasized, "The police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor must conduct a thorough investigation and strictly punish not only the employers who neglected long working hours in pursuit of profit and disregarded workers' health rights but also some malicious directors who incited this."

The union plans to take collective actions such as producing posters related to Kim’s death. Consequently, there is a possibility that the normal operation of the golf course may be disrupted.

Regarding the union’s claim that Kim died from overwork due to excessive workload, a golf course official told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "We will comment on whether it was a death from overwork after seeing the autopsy results," adding, "At the time, there were several workers, not only Kim who died."

Regarding the possibility of a death from overwork based on the autopsy results, the official emphasized, "We plan to provide maximum support to the bereaved family. We are currently treating the family with the utmost respect."

Furthermore, the official said, "The golf course is paying close attention to this incident to the extent that all shareholder members have been informed of the related details," and regarding the union’s announcement of collective action, "We can communicate within legal limits."