Lawmakers are questioning whether workplace protections are keeping pace with the country’s growing foreign workforce as reports of violence against migrant workers continue to rise.
According to Rep. Kim Wi-sang of the People Power Party, 35 cases of violence against migrant workers were reported to the Ministry of Employment and Labor from January to July, already exceeding the 34 cases recorded for all of last year.
Reports fell from 40 in 2021 to 18 in 2024 before rising to 34 in 2025. Five cases had led to indictments as of July, the highest total since 2021.
By industry, manufacturing accounted for 45.7 percent of cases reported from January to July, followed by agriculture, forestry and fisheries at 22.9 percent, and accommodation and food services at 17.1 percent, Kim said.
The figures count only cases reported by foreign nationals, Kim said. A single case may involve multiple victims, meaning the number of migrant workers affected could be higher.
The rise in reports comes as the number of foreign workers in South Korea continues to grow. The number of foreign employees reached 1.1 million in December 2025, up from 843,000 in 2022 and 863,000 in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
The figure is expected to grow further as employers in manufacturing, agriculture and services struggle to recruit workers.
Separate Labor Ministry data suggests workplace inspections have not kept pace with the growth in workplaces employing foreign nationals.
According to Rep. Choi Ki-sang of the Democratic Party of Korea, the number of workplaces inspected has risen more slowly than the number employing foreign nationals.
Under the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, the labor minister must select workplaces employing foreign nationals for inspections of working conditions and safety at least once a year.
From 2022 to 2025, the number of workplaces inspected rose 3.4 percent to 3,123. Over the same period, the number of workplaces employing foreign nationals increased 16.9 percent to 59,669.
Choi also cited a rise in reports of workplace harassment involving foreign workers, from 130 in 2022 to 366 in 2025. He called for an improved inspection system and expanded support.
“Small workplaces employing foreign workers may have relatively limited access to occupational safety and health professionals and financial resources, requiring inspections and support tailored to the conditions of individual workplaces,” Choi said.
Choi said language barriers and insecure employment and residency status could deter migrant workers from reporting labor law violations and human rights abuses, and called for stronger preventive measures.
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