The Ministry of Employment and Labor is enhancing its preventive measures to stop human rights violations against migrant workers. The key focus is on strengthening preemptive monitoring based on anonymous surveys and initiating proactive oversight. Immediate supervision will be implemented if incidents of violence or harassment are confirmed.
On June 4, the Ministry announced the launch of its "Measures to Prevent Human Rights Violations of Migrant Workers."
With the expansion of the employment permit system and chronic labor shortages in various industries, the number of migrant workers in South Korea has surpassed 1.1 million. Although the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges to the recruitment of foreign workers, the numbers have steadily increased since the transition to an endemic phase.
However, reports of human rights violations, including violence, harassment, and unfair treatment, continue to emerge in the workplace. Recently, incidents involving migrant workers in the manufacturing, agriculture, and construction sectors have sparked social controversy. Language barriers, unfamiliar systems, and job and residency insecurities often hinder workers from reporting or seeking advice.
In response, the Ministry is establishing a comprehensive response system to detect human rights violations early and connect confirmed cases to prompt oversight and rights protection. A preemptive monitoring system will be set up to identify previously hidden cases of human rights violations against migrant workers. An online anonymous survey will be continuously available for workers to participate in their native language, and the results will be linked to inspections and oversight.
The Ministry will also create a new category for "human rights violations of migrant workers" in its anonymous reporting center on the labor portal, allowing victims to report incidents confidentially. To ensure ongoing monitoring in the field, a new system of foreign human rights leaders will be implemented.
Starting in June, the Ministry will conduct specialized inspections focused on violence and harassment at over 100 locations, particularly in areas with high concentrations of migrant workers and regions identified as having a high risk of human rights violations. Cases detected through preemptive monitoring will be immediately linked to inspections and oversight.
In 14 regional labor offices with high concentrations of migrant workers, dedicated teams will be established to oversee and respond to human rights violation cases. Support for rapid separation of victims and perpetrators will be enhanced through connections to nearby shelters.
To fundamentally prevent human rights violations, the Ministry will also work on improving the awareness of employers and managers. Vulnerable workplaces employing foreign workers will be included in the "Voluntary Improvement of Working Conditions" program, allowing employers to self-assess their employment practices for migrant workers and receive labor management consulting. Collaborating with local governments, the Ministry will provide training on essential labor laws and human rights protection for these vulnerable workplaces.
Additionally, legal and institutional improvements will be pursued to prevent human rights violations at a structural level. The Ministry aims to enhance the workplace transfer system to allow migrant workers facing unfair treatment or hazardous working conditions to change jobs more easily. Recognizing the existing gaps due to different overseeing departments for various work visas, the Ministry plans to establish an integrated support system that connects information across departments, independent of residency status.
"Migrant workers are colleagues who work alongside us, and their rights must be respected and protected equally, regardless of nationality," said Vice Minister Kwon Chang-jun. He emphasized the need to lower the barriers for migrant workers to report violations and seek redress, enabling quicker detection and response to human rights violations occurring in the workplace.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.