Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
Vietnamese interpreter-activist awarded for supporting migrant workers
Nguyen Thi Ngoc, also known as Bak Jeong-yeon here, receives this year's Hope Award for Migrant Workers at the Busan Foreign Residents' Center, Oct. 21, for supporting migrant workers. / Courtesy of Hope Center for Migrant Workers
By Lee Hae-rin
By Lee Hae-rin
Vietnamese interpreter-activist Nguyen Thi Ngoc, also known as Bak Jeong-yeon, received this year's Hope Award for Migrant Workers for her contribution to the settlement and counseling of migrants at the Busan Foreign Residents' Center, Oct. 21. The Hope Center for Migrant Workers, a Seoul-based humanitarian NGO, gives the award to an activist of foreign nationality who has been devoted to migrant labor rights since 2020.
Bak, a marriage migrant here, began Vietnamese-Korean interpretation for migrants here in 2012 at Link, a translation center for foreign nationals. Now she handles 3,000 to 4,000 cases of counseling and interpretation a year concerning labor, health and settlement issues for migrants at the Busan Foreign Residents' Center, while educating foreign workers on how to fight for their rights here.
“When I first came to Korea 13 years ago, I didn't speak Korean at all. I was lucky enough to study Korean for the first two years, but most migrant workers can't. They are far away from their homes and family, as well as alone when in trouble or ill. So I wanted to stay by their side and help in any way that I can,” Bak told The Korea Times over the phone, Wednesday.
In 2016, Bak helped to defend a group of Vietnamese fishermen who were accused of murder on a deep-sea fishing vessel and detained under investigation. Through countless visits to a Busan prison, Bak provided a thorough and detailed translation to human rights lawyers in Seoul which proved their innocence.
“I contacted the Vietnamese fishermen repeatedly, via phone calls, letters and prison visits. Sometimes I would bring them books to read and encourage them not to give up. They were from the central region in Vietnam and had a very strong accent. It was difficult to understand at first, but as my visits continued, I was soon able to figure it out,” Bak said.
“Ms. Bak Jeong-yeon has greatly contributed to publicizing the issue on migrant fishermen's labor rights and making legal improvements. In several in-depth interviews and investigations of their poor working conditions, Ms. Bak has given us decisive help,” read a letter of recommendation by Kim Jong-chul, a human rights lawyer from the humanitarian legal counsel, APIL.
“No matter how hard things get, it's all worth it. Some clients visit or call the center again to tell me that their issues have been solved and to thank me again. A family of this one client sent me a box of Vietnamese treats with a handwritten thank-you letter,” Bak said.
“This award could make me look special and unique, but there are a lot of activists who are better than me across the country who are working hard to help migrants,” she said.
In her acceptance speech, Oct. 21, Bak thanked her fellow migrants and activists. “This award is for all migrant workers who refuse to tolerate mistreatment and discrimination and reach us for help. I send my words of thanks to my colleagues at the Foreign Resident Center who are always by my side, and many other activists who fight discrimination against migrants. Through their effort, the world is turning into a better place,” Bak said.
“I will take this award as an encouraging message from my seniors that I must keep going. I hope that in 10 years, I will stand here again recommending a fellow junior activist,” Bak said.