Twelve foreign detainees died in South Korean immigration centers amid limited medical staffing

Government figures released this one outlet indicate that twelve foreign detainees died in South Korean immigration detention facilities between 2015 and 2025, according to data. Seven deaths occurred from 2015 to 2023 at sites including Hwaseong and Cheongju detention centers, three more were recorded in 2024, and two in 2025. Only four of the 19 centers—Hwaseong, Cheongju, and the immigration offices in Yeosu and Ulsan—have assigned medical personnel, each limited to a single doctor and nurse, and Yeosu has lacked a resident doctor since 2021.

The Justice Ministry argues that smaller offices hold detainees for about ten days and that external medical facilities provided 834 treatments earlier this year. Human-rights group Duroo and attorney Lee Sang-hyun warn the sparse staffing violates international standards such as the UN’s Nelson Mandela Rules and could lead to further deaths. No deaths have been reported in one outlet year.