Father of five left brain-dead after Incheon manhole accident donates organs before final farewell

A hat and work tools lie next to a manhole in Byeongbang-dong, Gyeyang District, Incheon, where a 48-year-old man surnamed Lee was rescued in cardiac arrest and another man in his 50s went missing on July 6. Lee was declared brain-dead eight days later. / Yonhap

The representative of Company A, Mr. Lee, 48, who was rescued in a state of cardiac arrest and unconsciousness due to a manhole accident in Incheon, was declared brain dead after eight days and donated his organs. He left behind five children, including a 4-month-old infant. The bereaved family has demanded that the Environmental Corporation of Incheon, which is the de facto entity responsible for management and oversight, take full responsibility.

According to reports on July 14, Lee was declared brain dead earlier that day while receiving treatment in the emergency intensive care unit at Inha University Hospital in Incheon. On the morning of the 6th, Lee was found in a manhole on a road in Byeongbang-dong, Gyeyang District, Incheon, in a state of cardiac arrest, and he never regained consciousness. His family expressed their intention to donate his organs, and the surgery was scheduled for 3 p.m. that same day.

On the 6th, Lee traveled from Daegu to Incheon for work. He had been married to his Filipino spouse for nine years and had five children. Following his death, the remaining family consists only of his spouse, who is not fluent in Korean, and their minor children. Lee and his spouse had three biological children: an 8-year-old, a 6-year-old, and a 4-month-old infant, and were preparing to adopt his spouse's two children, aged 11 and 10. Lee’s sister, 50, said, “My sister-in-law used to visit the Philippines to see the kids and brought them back to raise together. After my brother passed, I went to his office and found that two-thirds of the adoption paperwork had been prepared. He worked even on holidays to take care of his five young children, which is so heartbreaking.”

Lee was involved in a subcontracted project to build a geographic information system (GIS) database for the Environmental Corporation of Incheon. He had entered the manhole to rescue a colleague who had collapsed and lost consciousness. His colleague was found dead on the 7th. The bereaved family criticized the lack of safety measures in the manhole, such as the absence of a gas detector, oxygen mask, or ladder, and the failure to provide protective gear. They pointed out issues with the subcontracting system that the Environmental Corporation of Incheon had given the contract to Korea KGT Consultants, which subcontracted it to J-Tech, and J-Tech further subcontracted it to Company A. Lee was the sole representative of Company A. The Environmental Corporation of Incheon said that while they had included a clause prohibiting subcontracting in the contract, they were unaware of any further subcontracting or the work plans. Although subcontracting was explicitly prohibited, the contracted company breached the agreement by not only subcontracting the work but also allowing it to be further subcontracted.

The bereaved family criticized the contracting authority for failing to fulfill its role in overseeing the workers’ affiliations. Lee’s sister said, “If subcontracting was prohibited, they should have confirmed who the workers were employed by. Is it enough to just put 'no subcontracting' in the contract and wash their hands of the responsibility?” She added, “My brother was meticulous, especially because he had many children, and he tried to do his job thoroughly. It’s already tragic that he died, but I’m afraid they’ll blame him for the accident as if he was at fault.”

Despite their grief, the bereaved family decided to donate Lee’s organs. His sister said, “Considering his good character and his desire to raise his spouse’s children as his own, I thought that if he could leave this world in a meaningful way, his children might eventually benefit from his generosity.”

Lee had not subscribed to industrial accident insurance as he was running a one-person company. If his employment status as a worker is not recognized, his family cannot receive survivor benefits from the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service. If the relationship between his death and work-related accidents is clarified, the bereaved family can claim survivor benefits. The family has expressed their position, saying that the Environmental Corporation of Incheon, as the actual contracting and supervising entity, should offer a sincere apology and take responsibility for compensation. Lee’s sister said, “We will find ways to provide at least basic livelihood support for the remaining children.”

The Environmental Corporation of Incheon responded, saying, “The first-tier contractor will take responsibility for hospital expenses. Once the investigation into the accident is complete, we will provide as much support as possible for compensation. As for the contracting authority’s responsibility, we will cooperate fully with investigations by the police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor.”

※This article was translated by an AI tool and edited by a professional translator.