"Sibling Caring for Disabled Sister Dies Instantly Without a Sound" Family of 'Pyeongtaek Port Death in 20s' Appeals

"Worked Part-Time to Avoid Asking Parents for Money, Passed Away"
"Over 300kg Fell, Died Instantly on the Spot"
"Company Claims It Was Because Younger Sibling Didn't Wear a Safety Helmet"

The open-type container at Pyeongtaek Port pier in Gyeonggi where the accident involving Lee Seon-ho occurred. / Photo by Committee for Measures on the Industrial Accident Death of the Late Lee Seon-ho

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] A netizen known as the older sister of Lee Seonho, a man in his 20s who died after being crushed by a container while working at Pyeongtaek Port in Gyeonggi Province last month, has come forward to demand a thorough investigation into his death.

On the 6th, this netizen wrote a lengthy reply to a post encouraging support for a Blue House national petition related to Lee’s accident, which was posted on an online community. She identified herself as Lee’s second older sister and expressed her sorrow, saying, "The last call was when he said he wanted to see his nephews and nieces and then ended the video call saying we would talk again later," adding, "Because of COVID-19, he couldn’t go to school and worked part-time to earn his own allowance so as not to burden our parents. I never imagined he would leave us so suddenly."

According to Lee’s sister, he was a kind younger brother who always took good care of their eldest sister, who had been diagnosed with a level 2 disability. It is reported that Lee’s family has not even informed the eldest sister of his death, fearing the shock it would cause her.

Regarding this, Lee’s sister recalled, "Our mom and dad are having a very hard time, but it breaks my heart to see them holding back tears in front of my eldest sister," adding, "He was a good younger brother who always put family first and took care of our ailing eldest sister."

Lee’s sister claimed, "The company is denying responsibility, saying the supervisor never gave such orders, and instead blaming my brother for not wearing a safety helmet," and insisted, "Even if he had worn a helmet, if a container weighing over 300 kg fell, my brother would have died instantly without making a sound."

She continued, "I don’t understand why they are denying responsibility and not offering a sincere apology. We haven’t even been able to hold the funeral yet, and for over two weeks, we have been keeping the incense burning at the funeral hall without letting it go out," she lamented.

A photo of the empty funeral hall of Lee Seon-ho posted by Kim Deuk-jung, head of the Ssangyong Motor Branch, on his social media (SNS) account on the 6th. / Photo by Twitter capture

Lee died on the 22nd of last month while performing cleanup work at the new container terminal at Pyeongtaek Port. At the time, he was tidying up near the wing of an open container. When a forklift working on the opposite side folded the container wing, the wing on Lee’s side folded back due to the recoil and collapsed, crushing him. The container wing that fell on Lee weighed approximately 300 kg, and he was crushed underneath it.

It is reported that there were no safety managers or signal operators present at the scene during the accident. Furthermore, the response after the accident was delayed, and Lee was left crushed under the container for about an hour before being transported to the hospital. At the time of the accident, Lee was not wearing safety equipment such as a helmet.

Meanwhile, Lee’s family and civic groups held a press conference in front of the new container terminal at Pyeongtaek Port on the same day, demanding a thorough investigation and punishment of those responsible.

The "Committee for Measures on the Industrial Accident Death of the Late Lee Seonho" stated, "It has been two weeks since Lee’s death, but the accident investigation and fact-finding remain at a standstill," and raised their voices, saying, "We demand accountability not only from the subcontractor’s manager but also from the primary contractor, and call on related agencies such as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Customs Service to implement measures to prevent recurrence."