Govt repatriates bodies of 3 sailors killed in S Korea mishaps

The Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI) has brought back the bodies of three Indonesian nationals who died in accidents while working as sailors in South Korea.

P2MI Minister Abdul Kadir Karding informed that the Indonesian government arranged to fly their bodies back through its embassy in Seoul. Their remains arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten, around 4:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media in Tangerang, he emphasized that the deceased workers, who hailed from Central Java province, were not victims of exploitation, violence, or human trafficking.

"The three individuals died due to work accidents," he informed, adding that one of the sailors, identified as Mustakfirin, died after falling from a fishing vessel while at sea.

He said that another worker, Darji, lost his life when the ship he was on sank off the coast of the tourist island of Jeju.

"Meanwhile, Moh. Hasim Basri passed away after falling and later becoming ill. He died while on duty," Karding said.

He reiterated that all three workers had been employed through official and legal channels.

"They were crew members of different ships, and all were working through procedural and legitimate means," he said.

The minister urged Indonesians to avoid illegal placements abroad, stressing that unofficial channels offer no security, unlike legal ones that include protection through the state workers' insurance provider BPJS Ketenagakerjaan.

"Each of the deceased sailors' families will receive Rp85 million (over US$5 thousand) in compensation from BPJS Ketenagakerjaan. This is why I always encourage people to work overseas through proper procedures—to ensure they have a safety net in case of accidents," he said.

He added that the P2MI Ministry will seek to ensure the prompt return of the workers' bodies to their hometowns.