A total of 174 foreign nationals working as part of the technical intern program died in the eight years between 2010 and 2017 due to accidents, illness and other reasons, the Justice Ministry said Thursday.
The labor ministry also said the deaths of 125 foreign workers, including trainees, over 10 years were work-related.
The figures were disclosed during a meeting put together by lawmakers from opposition parties that have been urging the government to investigate technical interns' deaths, pointing to the possibility they were subjected to harsh working conditions.