Ministry to intensify labor inspections to tackle rights violations against migrant workers

Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon, center, talks with foreign workers harvesting lettuce during his visit to a greenhouse complex in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, Friday. Yonhap

The labor ministry announced Friday it will step up labor inspections to address concerns about human rights violations against migrant workers, including a three-week special reporting period for rights violations involving migrant workers.

The latest move comes following public outrage over a video showing a Sri Lankan migrant worker being lifted while bound to a forklift at a brick factory in Naju, about 280 kilometers south of Seoul.

From Aug. 11 to 29, the ministry will conduct intensive inspections of workplaces that employ large numbers of foreign workers, focusing on rural areas with poor conditions.

Starting Aug. 20, it will also designate every Wednesday as a special reporting and counseling day. Labor attorneys and interpreters will be stationed at employment centers to provide one-stop services to assist the laborers in filing complaints.

The ministry said it will send text messages to all employers and workers to guide them on how to seek counseling and file complaints on any rights violations.

Earlier in the day, Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon visited a farm in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, to inspect the working conditions amid a heat wave and to hear directly from foreign workers about their challenges.

"Promoting the labor rights of foreign workers without discrimination is one of the most urgent tasks in our society, and any form of human rights abuse, such as harassment and violence, cannot be tolerated under any circumstances," Kim said. "We will come up with comprehensive measures to protect the rights of foreign workers and eliminate discrimination against them."

President Lee Jae Myung pledged stern actions against any mistreatment of foreign workers as he shared the video of the Sri Lankan worker on his Facebook page last month.