[Photo] Monks and labor community unite in march against laws on irregular subcontract workers

On Jan. 31, 53 days after the tragic death of Kim Yong-gyun, an irregular subcontractor at Taean Power Station in South Chungcheong Province, civic groups and members of the Jogye Order of Buddhism marched on the streets of Seoul to protest the South Korean government’s lackluster efforts to address the country’s laws on irregular and subcontractor labor. Kim, just 24 when he died, was working a night shift alone when he got caught in machinery. Observers and civic demonstrators have observed that Kim’s death could have been avoided had he been paired with another work and allowed to work under humane conditions. Kim often had to skip meals and rarely had any breaks on the job. The photo shows civic demonstrators alongside monks performing a series of bows pleading the government to take action so that Kim can be given a proper funeral a sense of closure. (Baek So-ah, staff photographer)