Reforms to the country's visa system sought to protect migrant workers
South Korea has recorded a three-fold increase in cases of workplace bullying and harassment that target migrant workers, according to reports.
Data from the country's Labour Ministry revealed that reported cases went up from 65 in 2020 to 225 in 2024, The Korea Herald reported.
This year has logged 112 new complaints as of May, according to the report, which predicted that 2025 will likely see the highest number in reported cases.
The reported numbers come after Labour Minister Kim Young-hoon made a pledge to protect foreign workers from discrimination, harassment, and violence.
"Ensuring that foreign workers are guaranteed their rights and can work in an equitable environment free from discrimination ― this is the most important principle we must uphold," the minister said as quoted in previous reports.
"Harassment, violence, and other types of human rights violations against them must never occur under any circumstances."
Kim's remarks follow a recent video of a Sri Lankan worker in South Korea who was filmed while he was tied to cargo and suspended in midair from a forklift.
The case, which ended in a settlement, sparked a conversation on South Korea's treatment of migrant workers.
President Lee Jae-myung slammed the incident as an "intolerable form of violence against a minority and a clear violation of human rights."
Employment Permit System flaws
The government is being urged to overhaul the country's Employment Permit System (EPS) to stamp out cases of migrant worker abuse.
The EPS enables South Korean employers who cannot find local employees to hire foreign staff from other Asian nations. However, migrant workers under this system are bound to a single employer, restricting them from changing work.
Moon Gil-joo, head of the Jeonnam Labour Rights Centre, said the EPS grants employers "excessive control" and strips the basic rights of migrant workers.
"We need a complete overhaul to ensure these workers have the freedom to choose or leave their workplace without fear," Moon said as quoted by The Korea Bizwire.
The calls to overhaul the EPS go back as early as 2014, when Amnesty International found that it directly contributes to the exploitation of migrant agricultural workers.
Plans to introduce reforms that will give migrant workers more freedom to change jobs have been pledged by the South Korean government, according to The Korea Herald.
The country's police are also carrying out a 100-day crackdown on workplace abuse and violence against migrant workers.
