Worker Who Died After Being Stabbed While Sleeping in Workplace Break Room Recognized for Industrial Accident Compensation

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A man in his 40s who was stabbed to death by a coworker while sleeping in the workplace break room has been recognized as an industrial accident victim.

On the 4th, the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service under the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that it approved the industrial accident claim filed by the bereaved family of Mr. A (46), who was stabbed to death while working at the Coupang logistics center in Pyeong-dong Industrial Complex, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

Mr. A was stabbed to death by a 20-year-old coworker, Mr. B (26), who wielded a weapon at around 3:40 a.m. on January 13 while Mr. A was sleeping in the break room. At the time, Mr. B committed the crime because Mr. A was snoring loudly. They had worked together as contract employees at the logistics center for one year but were not personally close.

Exterior view of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service recognized the incident as an industrial accident, considering the connection between the crime and work. The service also judged Mr. A's death as an industrial accident based on the fact that the weapon used by Mr. B was a sales knife stored at the logistics center. Mr. B's behavior revealed during the trial also served as a clue for this judgment.

Mr. A, a father of three children, left his family struggling with financial difficulties after his death.

Meanwhile, on the 14th of last month, the 12th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Sang-gyu) sentenced Mr. B (26), who was charged with murder, to 20 years in prison. During the trial, Mr. A claimed he was in a state of diminished mental capacity, but the court did not accept this.

The court pointed out, "Considering the method of the crime, the nature of the offense is serious," and "The victim suffered irreparable damage by losing his life due to the defendant's crime." It added, "The sentence was determined considering that the victim's family petitioned for severe punishment." Mr. B has appealed the first trial verdict.