Gyeonggi Province Conducts First Human Rights Survey of Foreign Seasonal Workers: "Most Unaware of Where to Seek Help in Case of Violations"

According to a survey conducted by the Gyeonggi Provincial Government on the human rights conditions of foreign seasonal workers, more than half of respondents who had experienced human rights violations did not know where to seek help in emergency situations.

On December 11, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government announced that, from July to November, it had conducted a survey in cooperation with the Hanyang University ERICA Industry-University Cooperation Foundation and other organizations. The survey involved direct visits to farms employing seasonal workers and collected responses from 419 seasonal workers, 126 employers, and 34 city and county officials.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Government plans to comprehensively analyze the results of this survey on the human rights status of foreign seasonal workers in the province and present directions for improvement early next year.

Key findings show that 78.2% (315 out of 403) of all seasonal worker respondents said they had signed a labor contract. However, only 54.4% (162 respondents) said they "fully understood" the contents of the contract.

Regarding experiences of human rights violations in the workplace, 14.3% (59 respondents) reported that their actual workplace differed from what was stated in the labor contract, 13.3% (55 respondents) cited unpaid overtime wages, and 11.1% reported verbal abuse.

In particular, among public sector seasonal workers, 35.4% (29 respondents) experienced unpaid wages, 29.1% (23 respondents) reported verbal abuse, 22.0% (18 respondents) paid additional accommodation fees, 21.0% (17 respondents) worked at locations different from those specified, 15.7% (13 respondents) were prohibited from going out, and 7.3% (6 respondents) experienced physical violence, indicating a range of human rights violations.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Among respondents who had experienced human rights violations (96 people), 87.5% said they "endured" the situation. When asked whether they knew which organizations to contact for help in urgent situations, only 41.9% answered that they were aware.

When employers were asked about the working conditions of seasonal workers, the average working hours were 9.2 hours per day, with 1.7 hours of rest, 3 days off per month, an average monthly wage of 1.98 million won, and deductions (such as accommodation and meal expenses) amounting to 194,000 won.

Among city and county officials in charge of seasonal worker affairs, 76.5% (26 respondents) said there was a shortage of personnel responsible for these tasks. In addition, one in four respondents (24.2%) said they had received assistance from an intermediary (broker or manager).

Choi Hyunjung, Human Rights Officer of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, stated, "This survey serves as a starting point for strengthening the institutional foundation so that the growing number of seasonal workers can work in a safe and respectful environment. Based on the results, we will prepare comprehensive institutional improvement measures covering labor contracts, language accessibility, workplace safety, and intermediaries."