Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

The public employee, identified as Chong, who was in charge of a project concerning the overland route between South and North Korea, had overworked by 40-90 hours of overtime a week after being transferred to the Korea Customs Service in September 2002.

After returning from a business trip in February last year, he fell down the stairs in his apartment building and died. Chong's family filed the suit, demanding the Government Employees Pension Corporation provide pension benefits to the victim's survivors.

The family claimed his death took place during working hours, which includes the time spent on the commute back home. "We discovered Chong worked hard, sometimes too hard, but it is difficult to determine whether his death occurred in the line of duty as there is no evidence to prove overwork directly caused the cerebrovascular disease, which led him to lose consciousness and fall down from the stairs," the court said in the ruling.
Working Hours End When Employee Enters Apartment Building
by Kim Rahn, Korea Times (December 24, 2004)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200412/kt2004122417181711980.htm

1. If you work overtime a lot, then should an employer take responsibility when you get sick?
2. Who is responsible for asking (or telling) people to work up to 90 hours each week?
3. What if you take work to do in your apartment? Your employer knows that you sometimes work in your apartment and, in fact, encourages doing work in your apartment.