Behind the glittering displays of gold and diamonds that line the jewelry stores of Jongno’s famed “Jewelry Alley” in Seoul lies a shadowy world of abuse, neglect and exploitation. Hidden just above street-level boutiques, the cramped workshops where Korea’s fine jewelry is made tell a very different story, one of toxic chemicals, unpaid labor and systemic disregard for workers’ rights. For Kim Jeong-bong, 44, it’s a story he knows all too well. He spent nearly three decades in the Jongno jewelry district, starting as a teenage apprentice in 1998. Despite his years of experience, Kim said the working conditions have barely improved since his first day on the job. “Back then, we handled hydrochloric acid and cyanide without any protective gear. It’s still the same now,” Kim said in a recent interview, recalling the suffocating fumes and metal dust that filled the unventilated rooms where he and his colleagues worked. “There are no windows, no masks, no gloves, just chemicals and bare hands.” Kim’s experience is not unique. Korea’s jewelry manufacturing industry,
State bus operator freezes fares, deploys 7,700 buses for Songkran
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