▲ This undated photo provided by the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police shows its building. (Yonhap)

police-migrant worker assault

Police, labor industry probe alleged assault of migrant worker with air gun

HWASEONG, South Korea, April 7 (Yonhap) -- Police said Tuesday they have launched an investigation into allegations that the head of a manufacturing company in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, assaulted a foreign worker by blasting compressed air into his body.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police said they have questioned the victim, a Thai national in his 40s, over allegations first raised by a local media outlet.

While the victim was bending over a workbench at the plant, the company's CEO allegedly approached him and pressed an air gun against his anus, releasing high-pressure air, according to the report.

The victim reportedly suffered abdominal swelling, internal organ damage and breathing difficulties, and underwent surgery at a hospital and is still receiving treatment.

The victim also alleged that the CEO interfered with his medical care and pressured him to return to his home country instead of being hospitalized.

The labor ministry has also launched a joint inspection focusing on industrial safety and labor conditions.

Earlier, President Lee Jae Myung ordered police and labor authorities to thoroughly investigate the case.

"Violence and discrimination against socially vulnerable migrant workers are grave crimes that cannot be tolerated," Lee said, calling for active measures by relevant agencies and a broader review of human rights violations involving migrant workers.

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