Worker from Sri Lanka is forcibly bound and hoisted by a forklift in an occurrence of on-the-job mistreatment.
In South Korea, migrant workers, many of whom are employed on fishing boats, continue to face significant challenges in their work conditions, despite the presence of legal frameworks and government supervision. A recent call for action highlights the need for migrant workers to be allowed to change their jobs, as current visa restrictions leave them trapped in exploitative conditions.
Migrant workers in South Korea, under E-7 visas, which cover skilled and semi-skilled jobs including certain agricultural and marine jobs, face severe restrictions on changing employers. The Ministry of Justice, which governs these visas, prioritises immigration control over labour rights, making it difficult for workers to escape exploitative conditions.
Recently, the Ministry of Employment and Labor has increased its workplace planning and supervision, particularly in rural areas with poor working conditions, in response to serious incidents of abuse. For instance, a Sri Lankan worker was tied to bricks and lifted by a forklift at a brick factory. The government has pledged strict punishment for such violations and stronger protection for foreign workers.
The South Korean president has also condemned such abuses as blatant human rights violations and called for swift government action to prevent labour exploitation and protect migrant workers. Migrant workers, including those in agriculture and fishing, are entitled to the national minimum wage under the Minimum Wage Act, which applies equally to all employees regardless of nationality.
However, despite these legal protections, enforcement gaps remain, particularly in rural sectors such as farming and fishing where migrant workers are more isolated and vulnerable. The inability of many visas to allow job changes further traps workers in exploitative conditions.
Government agencies have begun emergency supervision and planning in response to public scrutiny, but systematic reforms are still evolving. The challenges faced by migrant workers in South Korea's fishing industry underscore the need for continued attention and action to ensure their protection and rights.
This article, originally published in the JoongAng Ilbo and translated using generative AI, was edited by our website staff to make it more accessible to our readers. It highlights the plight of migrant fishers in Korea and the ongoing efforts to protect their rights and ensure fair working conditions.
- The ongoing plight of migrant fishers in Korea, as highlighted in a recent column published in the JoongAng Ilbo, underscores the need for systematic reforms to address the inability of many visas to allow job changes, which further traps workers in exploitative conditions, especially in the health-and-wellness aspect of the workplace, given the severe restrictions on changing employers.
- In the midst of increasing awareness about workplace-wellness and health-and-wellness, it is crucial for South Korea to not only enforce legalprotections for migrant workers, as stated in the Minimum Wage Act, but also to bridge the enforcement gaps, particularly in the science of sociology and political science, that leave these susceptible workers isolated and vulnerable to exploitation.
