Costco faces public backlash for cart pusher death

Costco Korea is under fire after its country manager allegedly made blunt remarks at the funeral of an employee who died while working as a cart pusher at a local Costco branch due to dehydration.

The Costco branch in Hanam, Gyeonggi, where a cart pusher died while working at a parking garage on June 19. [YONHAP]

Costco Korea is under fire after its country manager allegedly made blunt remarks at the funeral of an employee who died while working as a cart pusher at a local Costco branch due to dehydration .

Broadcaster SBS on Thursday reported on an interview with the family of Kim Dong-ho, a 29-year-old cart pusher at the Costco branch in Hanam, Gyeonggi, who lost his life on June 19 while working at a parking garage.

Kim fainted at 7 p.m. that day and was moved to a nearby hospital, where he died two hours later.

Kim, who previously worked as a cashier at the discount store, was two weeks into his new job that reportedly had him walk up to 43,000 steps, or 26 kilometers (16 miles), daily.

The final cause of Kim’s death was pulmonary embolism and excessive dehydration from the heat, according to the hospital.

While the retailer is yet to release an official statement regarding Kim's death, a top executive came to his funeral and accused him of hiding information about his illness, Kim’s father told SBS.

“A CEO came to the funeral and asked, ‘He was sick. He was sick, right? He hid his illness when he got the job?’”

SBS reports on the case of Kim Dong-ho, a 29-year-old cart pusher who lost his life from dehydration, on Thursday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Kim’s family said the cart pusher was in good health before switching his role, which was done without his consent.

The family asked Costco to provide CCTV footage to apply for workplace hazard insurance compensation but the company reportedly said it would take two to three weeks to prepare the video. The family filed a petition with Costco headquarters in Washington to expedite the process.

“Someone needs to be held accountable,” Kim’s father said. “A no-response may be the best plan of action for them [Costco] but such a move is another nail in the coffin.”

The retailer installed cooling fans and cooler boxes filled with water bottles on each floor of the parking garage following Kim’s death.

“I lost two toenails after starting this job and have walked up to 52,000 steps on busy days,” another car pusher at the branch told the JoongAng Ilbo. “We’ve long raised the issue of overwork; the company’s response [cooling fans and cooler boxes] is just for show.”

Kim’s father said the family decided to go public with the issue after hearing rumors about the company trying to close the case as a death due to illness.

BY JUNG SI-NAE [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]