S.Korean factory owner jailed for anal assault on Thai worker

A South Korean factory owner who injured an illegal Thai worker by inserting a compressed-air gun nozzle into his anus has been jailed for three years. A charge against his wife was dropped.

The Suwon District Court on Thursday sentenced the owner of a metal-cleaning plant to three years on charges of assaulting a labourer and breaching the Labour Standards Act, according to a Yonhap report.

The names of the boss and his Thai worker were not disclosed. The South Korean supervisor was in his 60s and the Thai employee in his 40s.

The factory is located in in Gyeonggi Province’s Hwaseong city, about 60 kilometres south of Seoul.

The assault occurred on Feb 20. The labourer was injured when the nozzle of a compressed-air hose was inserted into his anus and triggered for seven seconds, the South Korean official news agency said. He later underwent surgery at a hospital in Suwon, the provinical capital.

The factory owner denied the accusations and fought the charges on the grounds he had no intention to injure the worker.

The case grabbed national attention in South Korea as the employer allegedly threatened to send the Thai worker back home, because he had overstayed his visa, instead of taking him to hospital.

Even South Korean President Lee Jae Myung commented on the need to protect the rights of workers, according to an earlier report in the Bangkok Post.

The court said the factory owner had also deducted the man's medical expenses from his wages, Yonhap reported.

The court dismissed the charge against the employer's wife. She was accused of intimidating the worker on the day of the assault by indicating he would be handed over to police for deportation, Yonhap said.