Lee Jae-myung: "Ensuring the 'Korean Dream' for Migrant Workers Does Not Become a Nightmare"

"'Beyond the Perspective of Labor Supply, Urgent Need to Ensure Fair Treatment'
'Government-Level Survey and System Improvement Required'"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the 19th, "We must not neglect the fact that migrant workers' 'Korean Dream' is turning into a 'Korean Nightmare'."

On the same day, Lee said on Facebook, "Looking at the reality faced by migrant workers around us, it is questionable whether we can call South Korea an advanced country."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee mentioned cases where migrant workers tragically died, pointing out, "Human rights violations and labor exploitation are occurring everywhere, taking advantage of their unstable status."

He criticized, "Recently, a Thai migrant worker who worked at a farm in Pocheon passed away. For 10 years, he took on the hard labor of cleaning pig manure, but the only place to rest was a pigsty filled with a foul odor. The farm owner committed a horrific act by abandoning the body in a mountain to hide the illegal employment." He also mentioned, "In February, a Thai migrant worker couple working in a rural area of Gochang, Jeonbuk, tragically died after lighting a wood fire in the cold to save on heating costs." He emphasized, "'Since they came here to earn money anyway' and 'many are illegal residents'?it is unfair to place all responsibility on individuals, as migrant workers are already an essential part supporting our economy."

Lee pointed out, "However, interest in the treatment of migrant workers is far too lacking compared to their importance."

He said, "The Yoon Suk-yeol administration is accelerating the establishment of an immigration office," adding, "It is urgent to guarantee proper treatment of migrant workers beyond the simple perspective of labor supply." He suggested, "It is necessary to conduct a government-level survey of the actual conditions and establish institutional improvements based on it as a key task of immigration policy."