Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Korea overhauls anti-trafficking policy to protect foreign workers more effectively
Gender Equality and Family Minister Won Min-kyong speaks during a meeting on anti-trafficking measures at the government complex in Seoul, Friday. Newsis
By Jung Min-ho
Korea has announced a major overhaul of its anti-trafficking policy, unveiling new measures to promptly identify and protect victims — especially foreign seasonal and maritime workers.
The plan, revealed Friday by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, comes after years of criticism over the slow detection and recognition of such abuse cases, particularly in low-wage migrant labor.
Rights activists have long argued that official victim numbers vastly understate the real scale of abuse in Korea. Between 2023 and March 2026, the government formally recognized only 70 people as “victims of trafficking,” 58 of whom are foreign nationals.
A strict legal definition of trafficking is the reason that most officially confirmed victims are noncitizens — that the crime requires elements such as “movement of the person,” including cross-border movement.
Under the reforms, police, labor and other ministries will tighten cooperation and share relevant information. When frontline officials encounter possible victims during inspections or investigations, they should immediately link them with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the victim protection institution.
In order to make these reforms legally mandated, the government plans to propose a bill revising the Act on Prevention of Human Trafficking and Protection of Victims.
Seasonal migrant workers, who are at the center of several high‑profile exploitation cases, are a key focus. Staff at institutions involved in seasonal labor programs will be newly designated as mandatory trafficking reporters and required to complete compulsory training.
New identification tools tailored to foreign crew in the fishing sector will be rolled out for use by public officials, including maritime labor inspectors.
Once someone is identified, the government says, the victim should be allowed to receive support without delay — avoiding extra layers of review and allowing urgent assistance even before all the formal paperwork is complete.
In addition, the government will require seasonal employers to enroll workers in accident insurance, wage guarantee insurance and agricultural and fisheries safety insurance in a bid to reduce the risks of injuries and unpaid wages. It also plans to provide emergency housing for foreign victims and, in the longer term, to establish dedicated support facilities that can offer accommodation, meals and other help.
“In short, the overarching theme of this package is to find cases earlier, recognize victims faster and deliver support without delay,” a senior ministry official told The Korea Times.
The structure of the national anti-trafficking policy council is also expected to be overhauled. Through legislation, the chairmanship would be shifted from the current deputy prime minister and education minister to the minister of gender equality and family. The number of civilian experts on the council would be also expanded from four to up to 10 to strengthen policy expertise.
“This set of measures gives concrete form to the government’s commitment to closing the blind spots in trafficking victim protection and improving the effectiveness of victim support. We will strengthen cooperation with relevant ministries so that early detection and tailored assistance work in practice on the ground, and we will continue to pursue policies that put victim protection and the restoration of their rights at the center,” Minister Won Min-kyong said.