Sim Sang-jung Completes First Official Schedule in Yeosu: "Field Training Forcing Students to Work Like Slaves... Occurs Because Cheap Labor Is Exploited"

Sim Sang-jung, Justice Party Presidential Candidate, Visits Accident Site of Yeosu Specialized High School Interns on the 14th
"Field Training Called 'Learning-Centered' in Words Only... Must Stop Field Training That Drives Interns to Harm"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] After being elected as the presidential candidate of the Justice Party, candidate Sim Sang-jung visited the Yeosu Marina Yacht Harbor, where a vocational high school intern died in an accident, as her first official schedule. She urged for measures to prevent the recurrence of repeated incidents during field training.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 14th, candidate Sim visited the accident site at Yeosu Ungcheon Marina Yacht Dock, where the late Hong Jeong-wook had his accident, and emphasized, "We must thoroughly investigate who allowed an inexperienced person to enter the water, hold them clearly accountable, and ensure that such incidents never happen again."

Hong fell into the sea and died on the 6th while removing seaweed and shells attached to the bottom of a 7-ton yacht at this location. The company representative was found to have had Hong, an intern without a diving license, perform diving tasks without assigning a safety manager.

Candidate Sim criticized, "There has been much debate over whether field interns are workers or not, but the Industrial Safety and Health Act was amended in March 2020 to apply to field interns as well. Therefore, this is a breach of contract, and especially putting someone with no experience, qualification, or license into a dangerous task is an act of murder." She also pointed out that the field training plan stated the task as tourist guide duties, highlighting the background of Hong being made to dive.

She added, "Field training is education, so why must our children die while receiving education? This is not education but exploitation of cheap labor, which is why such incidents occur."

She said, "Even though they emphasize learning-centered field training in words, people keep dying. When you visit the site, it is understood merely as using cheap labor. The Ministry of Education should review whether field training should continue with this awareness of the problem." She also called for the immediate suspension of all ongoing field training.

Candidate Sim stressed, "How can a country that drives its youth to the brink be considered an advanced nation? I will thoroughly monitor this incident to the end."

Going forward, candidate Sim plans to urge government authorities for a thorough investigation of the cause, measures to prevent recurrence, and improvements to field training.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.