Nearly 20 Minors Detained in South Korean Immigration Centers Amid Legislative Stalemate
Seventeen foreign minors were held in two Korean immigration detention centers as of August, prompting health and rights concerns.
According to the office of Rep. Park Eun-jung of the Rebuilding Korea Party, seventeen foreign nationals under 18 were being held in immigration detention facilities in Korea as of August—eight in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, and nine in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. International research highlights the negative impact of detention on children’s mental health, and Save the Children notes that 84 minors have been detained across the country since 2022, with 79 lacking family accompaniment and some held for up to 197 days.
UN bodies, including the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, have recommended amending the Immigration Act to prohibit child detention, a stance echoed by Korea’s National Human Rights Commission in 2024. Legislative attempts to differentiate minors from adults in detention have stalled after multiple bills were introduced last year. Public interest lawyer Lee Sang-hyun of Doroo argues that the delay leaves children exposed to adult detention routines, lacking proper education and health care, and calls for legal recognition of the state’s duty to protect detained children.
Why it matters
Detaining minors in immigration facilities raises serious human-rights and health concerns and highlights stalled reforms in South Korea.
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