Secured employer pledges to establish a transparent wage-payment system; cancel worker assignments and take legal action if human rights violations are confirmed; expand public seasonal-worker program and block broker involvement
Goheung County in South Jeolla Province has launched a robust response to allegations of human rights abuses involving foreign seasonal workers. On March 10, the county announced it will conduct a full inspection and overhaul its management system to address recent reports of unpaid wages, unlawful deductions, substandard housing and invasions of privacy at several oyster farms.
Goheung County Mayor Gong Young-min emphasized that foreign seasonal workers are essential to the local economy and called for rigorous on-site oversight, including a transparent wage-payment system and safe housing. “Foreign seasonal workers are a valuable part of our local industry,” he said. “Their basic rights — protection from human rights abuses, fair wages and decent housing — must be fully guaranteed in practice.”
The county obtained signed pledges from 111 employers committing to 8 requirements, including providing adequate housing, enrolling workers in workers’ compensation insurance, and paying wages directly into workers’ bank accounts. By March 31, officials plan to inspect 112 workplaces that employ foreign workers, accompanied by language-assistance staff, to assess housing conditions, wage-payment methods and potential privacy violations.
If inspections confirm human rights violations or breaches of labor standards, the county will immediately cancel those businesses’ seasonal-worker placements and bar them from future participation in the program. The county will also notify relevant authorities about violations — such as unpaid wages, unlawful deductions, illegal brokerage, privacy intrusions and inadequate safety measures — and pursue prompt legal action.
To prevent recurrence, the county will end the existing recruitment memorandum-of-understanding approach, expand family-invitation recruitment for marriage immigrants, and broaden a public seasonal-worker program run by agricultural and fisheries cooperatives to increase official oversight. Officials are also reviewing further measures to block broker involvement and prevent manipulation of the system.
Officials say the measures should help restore trust in the foreign seasonal-worker program. Goheung County plans to reform overall program operations to protect workers’ rights while supporting the sustainability of local industries. These steps aim to safeguard foreign workers’ rights and promote sustainable regional economic growth.
Goheung — Reporter Jeong Won (weeoney@viva100.com)
