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Video Description

Type: KIHASA Policy Featurette

Topic: The Reality of the Employment Permit System for Migrant Workers

Guest Speaker: Dr. Kim Ki-tae, Head, Center for Welfare State Research, KIHASA

Transcript

Voiceover:

Migrant workers provide essential labor in industries facing manpower shortages, such as the 3D industries and small businesses. However, their working conditions remain extremely poor.

Kim:

Problems such as violence against and unpaid wages of migrant workers were widespread. The introduction of the Employment Permit System in 2000 has undoubtedly helped to reduce many of these problems. However, it is still difficult to say that workplace discrimination and unfair treatment of migrant workers has been completely eliminated. For some, employment contracts are never drawn up and for many others, the terms of the contract are never respected. It is therefore reasonable to assume that migrant workers continue to experience discrimination, unfair treatment and unpaid wages in the workplace.

Voiceover:

As the Korean Constitution recognizes only Korean citizens as holders of fundamental rights, migrant workers’ social rights remain inadequately protected. However, under international human rights treaties ratified by Korea, everyone, regardless of nationality, should be guaranteed equal social rights.