The Korea Labor Foundation has launched a nationwide safety campaign to protect mobile and other vulnerable workers exposed to heat-illness risks during the summer. The initiative focuses on distributing safety kits and directing field workers — who have little opportunity to rest even in extreme heat — to nearby shelters, strengthening on-site safety support.
The foundation announced Monday it is running a summer-specific safety campaign as part of its "2026 Safety-Ieum Project — Four Seasons," an expansion of last year's "Safety-Ieum Project." The initiative centers on building a seasonal safety net in response to the climate crisis.
The foundation conducted spring safety inspections for mobile workers in March, then ran heat-illness prevention and basic labor-standards compliance campaigns from June at Geumcheon-gu in Seoul and the Songtan Industrial Complex in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. Regional employment and labor offices, the Seoul Labor Rights Center, the Geumcheon-gu district office, Pyeongtaek City Hall and the Pyeongtaek Labor-Management-Civil Council all took part.
Monday's campaign in Incheon focused on promoting the three core heat-illness prevention guidelines — water, shade and rest. Workers received summer safety kits and were directed to rest facilities, including Geunrojaieum Centers where they can escape the heat. The campaign continues Tuesday in Busan and Ulsan, and Wednesday in Cheongju.
The foundation said it plans to continue tailored safety programs reflecting the characteristics of each season and industry, with the aim of spreading a field-centered safety culture.
"With record-breaking heat waves forecast due to the climate crisis, we will further reinforce a safety net that field workers — who struggle to rest even in extreme heat — can actually feel," said Park Jong-pil, secretary-general of the Korea Labor Foundation.
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