PRESS RELEASE
- Contact: Donghyun Kim
- Email address: dhkim@hopeandlaw.org
- Date : May 30 2025
- Page : 2
Worker Dies in CMA CGM Supply Chain:
Fall at HD Hyundai Samho Highlights Ongoing Safety Failures
On May 17, 2025, a subcontracted worker died after falling 2.7 meters through an unsecured manhole at HD Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Yeongam, South Korea. He was working inside a block of container ship No. 8218, commissioned by French shipping company CMA CGM. Despite being rushed to a hospital, he did not survive.
The accident was preventable. Safety rules required the manhole to be securely covered, but the cover used was unstable and not properly fixed. Union testing confirmed it could fall through the opening. This violates Korea’s Occupational Safety and Health Act.
After the incident, HD Hyundai Samho worsened public concern by suggesting the cause of death might not have been the fall, mentioning possible preexisting health conditions—an attempt to shift blame and avoid accountability.
Photo: May 22, 2025 – Press conference held by the labor union(KMWU)
The Korean Alliance for Responsible Shipbuilding and Human Rights in Supply Chain (KARSH) calls on both HD Hyundai Samho and CMA CGM to take full responsibility and implement measures to prevent further accidents. CMA CGM must conduct proper human rights due diligence across its supply chain.
In 2024 alone, Korea’s shipbuilding industry saw 24 serious accidents and 28 worker deaths. Fatal accidents have continued in 2025, including the recent tragedy at HD Hyundai Samho. These are not isolated events. They reflect deeper structural problems—and global companies like CMA CGM must act.
Multinational corporations are being held accountable for human rights violations in their supply chains. CMA CGM is no exception. We cannot accept more deaths. Change must happen—now.
PRESS RELEASE
Worker Dies in CMA CGM Supply Chain:
Fall at HD Hyundai Samho Highlights Ongoing Safety Failures
On May 17, 2025, a subcontracted worker died after falling 2.7 meters through an unsecured manhole at HD Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Yeongam, South Korea. He was working inside a block of container ship No. 8218, commissioned by French shipping company CMA CGM. Despite being rushed to a hospital, he did not survive.
The accident was preventable. Safety rules required the manhole to be securely covered, but the cover used was unstable and not properly fixed. Union testing confirmed it could fall through the opening. This violates Korea’s Occupational Safety and Health Act.
After the incident, HD Hyundai Samho worsened public concern by suggesting the cause of death might not have been the fall, mentioning possible preexisting health conditions—an attempt to shift blame and avoid accountability.
Photo: May 22, 2025 – Press conference held by the labor union(KMWU)
The Korean Alliance for Responsible Shipbuilding and Human Rights in Supply Chain (KARSH) calls on both HD Hyundai Samho and CMA CGM to take full responsibility and implement measures to prevent further accidents. CMA CGM must conduct proper human rights due diligence across its supply chain.
In 2024 alone, Korea’s shipbuilding industry saw 24 serious accidents and 28 worker deaths. Fatal accidents have continued in 2025, including the recent tragedy at HD Hyundai Samho. These are not isolated events. They reflect deeper structural problems—and global companies like CMA CGM must act.
Multinational corporations are being held accountable for human rights violations in their supply chains. CMA CGM is no exception. We cannot accept more deaths. Change must happen—now.