Workplace Bullying of Migrant Workers Exposes Flaws in Korea’s Employment Rules

On February 26, a Sri Lankan national identified as Mr. A became the victim of workplace bullying at a brick factory in Naju, South Jeolla Province, where he was lifted by a forklift while tied to a pile of bricks and mocked by Korean coworkers. A video of the incident sparked public outrage. President Lee Jae-myung, who himself worked in a factory during his youth, condemned the act, vowing to “strictly punish such barbaric human rights violations against society’s vulnerable.” (Image courtesy of Gwangju-Jeonnam Migrant Workers Network)

GWANGJU, July 28 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent case of workplace bullying in Naju, South Korea, has once again exposed the harsh realities faced by migrant workers—many of whom suffer in silence under a labor system critics say traps them in abusive conditions.

According to the Gwangju-Jeonnam Migrant Human Rights Network and the Jeonnam Labor Rights Center, a Sri Lankan migrant working at a brick factory in Naju was subjected to months of verbal harassment and humiliation by fellow workers. The abuse began in February, but the worker remained unable to change jobs for five months due to restrictions in the country’s Employment Permit System (EPS).

The incident is not isolated. Labor rights groups report that cases of verbal abuse, mistreatment, and even physical violence against foreign workers are on the rise across South Korea, though no official statistics exist due to a lack of government-led investigations.

At the heart of the issue, critics argue, is the EPS, which binds foreign workers to a single employer and severely restricts their ability to change jobs—even in cases involving abuse, unpaid wages, or unsafe working conditions.

Without the employer’s consent, workers have limited legal grounds to transfer, leaving them vulnerable and silenced for fear of deportation or being labeled undocumented.

President Lee Jae-myung’s direct reference to a series of fatal industrial accidents involving SPC workers and the forklift abuse case of a migrant laborer has prompted swift responses from the company and relevant authorities, leading to a wave of follow-up measures aimed at improving worker safety. The photo shows President Lee listening to an SPC Samlip employee during a labor-management roundtable on preventing industrial accidents, held on July 25 at the SPC Samlip factory in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province. To his left is Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon. (Yonhap)

A particularly tragic case earlier this year in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, involved a young Nepalese worker who was found dead in his dormitory after enduring prolonged abuse at a pig farm. At least 28 other migrant workers reportedly fled the same farm, citing similar treatment, but no preventive policy changes have been enacted.

Labor advocates say this power imbalance effectively creates a system of coercion, discouraging victims from speaking out and exposing them to further harm.

“The Employment Permit System, as it currently stands, grants employers excessive control and strips migrant workers of their basic rights,” said Moon Gil-joo, head of the Jeonnam Labor Rights Center. “We need a complete overhaul to ensure these workers have the freedom to choose or leave their workplace without fear.”

He also called for the establishment of a public agency with the authority to intervene in abuse cases, and urged Korean society to abandon derogatory terms like oenojja (a slur for foreign workers) and instead recognize migrant laborers as integral members of the community.

Despite growing awareness, proposed reforms remain in early discussion stages, and human rights groups warn that without systemic change, more cases of abuse—and silence—are likely to follow.

M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)