Gyeonggi Province Selects 15 “Happy Workplaces” Where Migrant Workers Are Safe and Respected

On September 23, Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Job Foundation held the “2025 Happy Workplace for Migrant Workers Certification and Plaque Award Ceremony” at the Suwon Ibis Ambassador Hotel, presenting certificates and plaques to 15 manufacturing companies that have established safe and respectful working environments.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government Building. Provided by Gyeonggi Provincial Government

The event was attended by Kim Daesoon, Gyeonggi Province’s Second Vice Governor for Administrative Affairs; Kim Wonkyu, Director-General of the Gyeonggi Immigration Society Bureau; Yoon Deokryong, CEO of the Gyeonggi Job Foundation; and representatives from the awarded companies, totaling around 40 participants.

Introduced for the first time this year, the “Happy Workplace Selection” is a policy initiative that comprehensively evaluates companies based on their labor safety management systems, non-discriminatory employment environments, effective communication and cultural understanding, as well as welfare and settlement support. It aims to identify and encourage outstanding companies, and is the first case nationwide to institutionally recognize a corporate culture of coexistence with migrant workers.

Among the certified small and medium-sized enterprises, the top five companies by evaluation score will each receive 10 million won, while the remaining companies will each receive 5 million won in funding for workplace environment improvements. The support funds can be used for workplace renovations, safety equipment, and improvements to welfare facilities such as dormitories, cafeterias, and break rooms.

Additionally, a variety of supplementary and post-management services are provided, including safety training, multilingual translation of manuals, insurance and visa consulting, and linkage to support programs offered by the Gyeonggi Job Foundation.

The certification is valid for one year, during which companies must maintain the required certification standards at their workplaces.

Going forward, the province plans to operate the “Happy Workplace Network” centered on certified companies to share best practices and support company-tailored education and awareness improvement activities. Furthermore, to prevent major industrial accidents, including workplace injuries, Gyeonggi Province will establish and operate the “Gyeonggi Foreign Worker Safety Support Center” as a hub for integrated services, providing information on labor safety, labor counseling, rights protection, and daily life support.

In his congratulatory remarks, Kim Daesoon, Gyeonggi Province’s Second Vice Governor for Administrative Affairs, stated, “The purpose of the Happy Workplace initiative is not simply to employ foreign workers, but to grow together with migrant workers and create a safe corporate culture. Going forward, Gyeonggi Province will take the lead in building a fair and safe working environment for migrant workers.”

Meanwhile, the Happy Workplace Selection initiative was presented as an exemplary case for local governments at the “Central-Local Employment Permit System Council” hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on September 9. Gyeonggi Province plans to propose the nationwide expansion of this initiative to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.