President Lee Jae-myung on the 13th demanded swift and strict action over allegations that workers at a domestic auto battery plant were given injections to flush heavy metals from their bodies. "How can you administer drugs that force out heavy metals to workers?" he said. "This is clearly a serious criminal act, and it must be dealt with strictly and swiftly." It was the second consecutive day he called for a firm response to the allegations, which involve workers being told the injections were vitamin shots.
Lee made the remarks at a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House, where he had been praising the National Tax Service for its performance in collecting overdue taxes. "Social justice is also very important in every sector of society," he said. Workers were "given dangerous injections that flush out heavy metals after being told they were vitamin shots," he said, adding sharply: "Workers who do their jobs are not livestock, and even livestock should not be treated that way. It looks like they were treated as objects."
He continued: "Every single worker is a sovereign citizen of the Republic of Korea, a person endowed with inherent human rights, and the breadwinner of a family. How can you deceive them and inject drugs that force out heavy metals?" He asked again: "How can this happen?"
"I cannot believe such things are happening in broad daylight in 21st-century Korea," Lee said. "This is clearly a serious criminal act, so please take strict and swift action." He also urged officials to "establish the facts accurately and take appropriate action in accordance with the law."