Korea Grants Workplace Change and Support After Assault on Foreign Worker in Incheon

South Korea’s Ministry of Justice has conducted an on-site investigation into the assault of a foreign worker at a textile manufacturer in Seo-gu, Incheon, and has granted the worker permission to change workplaces.

The ministry said its Immigrant Rights Protection Task Force and the Incheon Immigration Office visited the site and interviewed the worker shortly after the case was reported in the media.

Based on the initial findings, the Immigration and Foreigner Policy Headquarters approved a workplace change so that the worker would not have to remain with the original employer.

The ministry is also considering administrative measures against the employer involved, including restrictions on hiring or inviting foreign workers. These measures have not been finalized and will depend on the confirmed facts, the seriousness of any violation and the applicable procedure.

Additional assistance will be discussed through the public-private Council for the Protection of Foreigners’ Human Rights and Promotion of Their Interests at the Incheon Immigration Office.

The support network includes integrated counseling through the One-Stop Solution Center for Crime Victims, psychological care through a Smile Center, financial assistance such as living expenses through a Crime Victim Support Center, and legal assistance through the Korea Legal Aid Corporation and the Legal Home Doctor program. Interpretation and translation may also be arranged when needed.

The One-Stop Solution Center links 14 participating bodies, including the police, prosecutors, crime-victim support organizations and the Ministry of Employment and Labor, across legal, financial, psychological, employment and welfare services.

The Ministry of Justice said foreign residents can report human-rights violations and request multilingual guidance through the Immigration Contact Center at 1345. The purpose is to prevent victims from abandoning treatment or reporting because of concerns about residence status or communication.