The government will assess human rights violations related to employment contracts, housing, insurance, and wages for foreign seasonal workers employed by fishing businesses nationwide.
The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on November 8 that they will conduct a human rights inspection for foreign seasonal workers in the fishing sector from November 9 to 27.
This inspection aims to examine the working and living conditions of foreign seasonal workers and to address any issues identified on-site. The focus will be on regions where allegations of human rights violations have emerged since the previous inspection, as well as areas with a large allocation of seasonal workers or significant new assignments.
In regions where human rights violations have been reported or where there is a large allocation of seasonal workers (five local governments), joint inspections will be conducted by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, civic groups, and local governments. In other areas (22 local governments), inspections will be carried out independently by the municipalities.
Key inspection items include compliance with standard employment contracts, provision of adequate housing for winter, mandatory insurance enrollment, and wage arrears. The inspection will also focus on identifying violations of workers' rights, such as the improper retention of passports and bankbooks, timely wage payments, and the ability of workers to communicate and move freely.
If the inspection reveals issues such as non-compliance with employment contracts or inadequate housing, corrective actions will be requested through local governments. Should these corrective actions not be implemented, penalties will be imposed on the respective municipalities according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Justice's Immigration and Foreign Policy Headquarters, which may include restrictions on the allocation of foreign seasonal workers.
Previously, investigators from the Ministry of Justice's Immigration and Foreign Policy Headquarters conducted inspections from April 1 to June 30 across 27 municipalities, covering 3,445 workplaces and 7,997 seasonal workers. They assessed the involvement of illegal brokers, wage arrears, violations of employment contracts, and the adequacy of housing.
The first half of the year’s inspections revealed inadequate housing such as container accommodations and insufficient fire prevention facilities, as well as violations of employment contracts including unpaid minimum wages or overtime, lack of guaranteed days off, wage arrears, restrictions on mobile phone use, and instances of verbal abuse.
Cha Yong-ho, head of the Ministry of Justice's Immigration and Foreign Policy Headquarters, stated, "The safety and protection of the human rights of foreign seasonal workers are fundamental principles that must be upheld. Through this joint inspection in the fishing sector, we will listen to the voices from the field and work with relevant departments and local governments to protect the rights of seasonal workers and ensure stable system operations."
Choi Hyun-ho, head of the Fisheries Policy Office at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, emphasized, "It is crucial to practically improve the working and living conditions so that foreign seasonal workers can work safely in the fishing industry. We will closely examine the factors contributing to human rights violations and work with relevant agencies to address any identified issues."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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