Foreign population surpasses 2 million as Korea faces test of social inclusion

 

Farmers and foreign workers harvest potatoes in the fields of Songjeong in Gangneung, Gangwon, on June 23. Foreign laborers have become essential in sectors avoided by local workers, including construction, agriculture, fisheries and manufacturing. [YONHAP]

 
The number of foreigners residing in Korea for more than three months exceeded 2 million for the first time last year, highlighting the country’s transition into a multicultural society. According to data released by Statistics Korea on July 29, the foreign population as of November 2024 reached 2.04 million, accounting for 3.9 percent of the total population. The increase was driven by the expansion of the foreign worker permit system and efforts by local governments to attract international students. Several municipalities now have foreign populations exceeding 10 percent of their residents, reflecting the growing dependence on migrant workers in construction, agriculture and manufacturing sectors shunned by local labor.
 
Yet the country’s maturity as an inclusive society has been called into question after a shocking video emerged from a brick factory in Naju, South Jeolla. The footage showed a Sri Lankan worker bound to a pile of bricks and lifted by a forklift while colleagues mocked him. President Lee Jae Myung condemned the act as “an unacceptable violation of human rights,” and the Ministry of Employment and Labor has launched an investigation. The victim, who entered Korea last December under the E-9 employment visa valid for up to three years, said he had faced verbal abuse before and described the incident as humiliating.
 
Foreign workers face structural barriers to speaking out. Under current rules, if they fail to secure government approval to change employers within 90 days after leaving a workplace, they risk deportation. This leaves them highly vulnerable to workplace abuse. Authorities must address these gaps to prevent similar cases and protect the rights of migrant laborers.
 

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Improving public perceptions of foreign workers is also urgent. They sustain industries that many Koreans avoid and fill gaps in the domestic labor market. While cultural and language differences may slow their adjustment to the “ppalli-ppalli,” or “hurry-up,” pace of Korean workplaces, such differences should not be grounds for ridicule or contempt.
 
Korea, a global trade power and a leading exporter of cultural content such as K-pop and K-dramas, benefits from growing international attention. But if foreigners living here are subjected to public humiliation, the nation’s image could suffer. As Korea develops, more foreign workers will seek opportunities here, and the domestic work force alone cannot meet labor demands. Learning to coexist with respect and empathy is no longer optional. Building a mature, inclusive society rooted in dignity rather than discrimination is now essential for Korea’s future.


Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.