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.
Monthlong crackdown targets wage theft and abuse of foreign workers
Foreign workers harvest potatoes at a farm in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, July 23. Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
Efforts triggered by shocking video that galvanized public sympathy
With rapidly increasing accounts of unpaid wages among foreign workers and disturbing new cases of workplace abuse emerging, the government will launch a four-week intensive crackdown at “high-risk” farms and factories in a bid to protect vulnerable noncitizen laborers.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Wednesday, the intensive inspection targeting businesses that employ large numbers of migrant workers will begin Thursday.
This move follows inspections in the first half of this year, which covered 151 at-risk sites nationwide. However, recent incidents ― including harassment in a brick factory in Naju, South Jeolla Province ― prompted the ministry to conduct additional inspections at 45 other worksites, mostly farms in Gangwon and the Jeolla provinces, officials said.
One of the key focuses will be overdue wages, which have soared over the past year. As of June, unpaid wages owed to foreign workers reached 85.5 billion won ($61.3 million) ― a 51 percent increase from the same period last year.
The ministry said it will enforce “stern” action for violations. In cases where affected foreign workers are undocumented or face deportation due to visa expiration before claims are settled, authorities plan rapid investigations and, if necessary, support for visa extensions during legal proceedings.
A poster for the prevention of harassment of foreign workers / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
The inspectors will also cover other rights abuse cases such as workplace bullying and sexual violence, areas where foreign employees are often disproportionately affected. During the crackdown, interviews and surveys will be conducted in 17 languages to ensure accurate and sensitive communication with foreign employees, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, ministry officials have launched campaigns promoting fair and safe labor practices, distributed educational leaflets in 17 languages and established hotlines with the National Police Agency to improve communication in handling abuse cases involving foreign workers.
These efforts come in the wake of a shocking video that galvanized public attention to the issue.
A video released in July by human rights activists showed a Sri Lankan worker being tied to a stack of bricks and suspended from a forklift, which sparked public outrage and condemnation from President Lee Jae Myung.
Earlier the same month, a Vietnamese construction worker, 23, was found dead in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, after spending hours working in intense heat. Some of the Korean workers left the site earlier than normal that day, thanks to a shortened working schedule due to the heat wave.
Also in July, 91 Filipino workers employed at a farm in Yanggu, Gangwon Province, filed a joint complaint with the ministry’s regional office, accusing their employer of failing to pay their full wages.
“We will make every effort to root out labor rights violations against foreign workers simply because they are not Korean nationals, by proactively overseeing and inspecting workplaces vulnerable to the exploitation of foreign nationals,” Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon said. “Additionally, we will establish an integrated support system for all such workers and, along with relevant ministries, carry out various initiatives to provide relief to them and protect their rights and interests.”
Separately, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Wednesday that it is conducting its own survey to improve the labor conditions of noncitizen workers, who account for about 22 percent of some 4,500 employees working at city-commissioned construction sites.
According to ministry data, the number of foreign workers in Korea’s domestic construction industry increased by approximately 33 percent since 2020, reflecting a growing reliance on foreign labor.