Migrant worker violence rises as South Korea's labor inspections lag behind

South Korean lawmakers are raising concerns that protections for migrant workers are falling behind the country's expanding foreign labor force. Between January and July, 35 cases of violence against migrant employees were reported to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, already exceeding the 34 cases recorded for all of last year. Manufacturing accounted for 45.7% of the incidents, with agriculture, forestry, fisheries and hospitality sectors following.

At the same time, labor inspections have risen only 3.4% from 2022 to 2025, while workplaces employing foreign nationals grew 16.9% to 59,669. Representatives from both the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea highlighted the gap, noting that language obstacles and precarious residency status deter reporting. They called for a more robust inspection regime and tailored support for small employers of migrant workers.