Hwaseong:Suwon A factory owner has been sentenced to three years in prison for severely injuring a Thai migrant worker with an air gun at a metal-cleaning factory in Hwaseong, located 60 kilometers south of Seoul.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Suwon District Court convicted the owner, who is in his 60s, of aggravated assault and violating the Labor Standards Act. The incident occurred on February 20, when the owner inserted an industrial air gun into the anus of the Thai worker, who is in his 40s, and discharged high-pressure air for approximately seven seconds.

The worker suffered significant internal injuries, including a 10-centimeter rectal perforation, and required surgical intervention. Although the owner has denied the charges, claiming his actions were unintentional and merely a prank, the court found him guilty.

The court noted that the owner's lack of remorse and his deduction of the victim's medical expenses from his wages contributed to the sentencing decision. However, the court acquitted the owner's wife, who faced charges of intimidating the worker by suggesting he could be reported to the police as an illegal immigrant and deported.