Labor Ministry to inspect aquaculture worksites in Mokpo, Yeosu over migrant worker rights

The Ministry of Employment and Labor will conduct inspections and targeted oversight of aquaculture worksites in areas with high concentrations of migrant workers, including Mokpo and Yeosu, to prevent human rights violations in the sector.

The ministry also plans to expand anonymous surveys and reporting channels available in migrants' native languages, and to designate migrant workers familiar with local conditions as "foreign human rights leaders" to detect rights violations early.

Minister Kim Young-hoon chaired a roundtable on migrant worker rights protection in the fisheries and aquaculture sector at the Gwangju Government Complex on Thursday. Representatives from aquaculture associations covering seaweed and oysters, farm operators, fisheries cooperatives, local governments and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries attended to discuss ways to protect migrant workers' rights and improve working conditions.

Migrant workers have become an essential labor force in aquaculture as the fishing industry faces a shrinking and aging workforce. The number of E-8 seasonal work visa holders in the fisheries sector rose from 996 in 2021 to 8,796 this year, while E-9 non-professional employment visa holders increased from 6,000 to 14,000 and E-10 maritime employment visa holders grew from 18,000 to 21,000.

At the same time, reports of human rights abuses at some worksites — including assault, unpaid wages and inadequate housing — have heightened calls for systemic reform.

In response, the ministry will operate anonymous surveys and reporting channels in migrants' native languages and appoint migrant workers with knowledge of local communities as "foreign human rights leaders" to identify risks early. Planned inspections and targeted oversight will focus on aquaculture operations in Mokpo, Yeosu and other areas with dense migrant worker populations in the fisheries sector.

Thursday's roundtable covered the current state of migrant worker rights protection efforts and explored field-centered approaches to preventing abuses and improving working conditions. The ministry said it would review feedback raised at the session and use it to strengthen relevant systems and support frameworks.

"Migrant workers today are indispensable to our fishing villages — not temporary guests passing through, but colleagues and neighbors who help build our workplaces and communities together," Kim said. "All labor deserves fair recognition, and respect for workers cannot vary by nationality."

He added that safe and fair workplaces lead to stable labor supply and higher productivity, and pledged that employers, local governments and the central government would work together to create safe and healthy working environments.