South Korea Reports 84 Labor and Safety Violations at Seasonal Worker Sites in Initial Inspections

The Ministry of Justice conducted an inspection of human rights violations against foreign seasonal workers in April 2026 and found 84 violations at 61 workplaces in eight cities and counties, Yonhap reported. Violations of working conditions such as unpaid wages totaled 25 cases. Human rights violations including verbal abuse also totaled 25 cases.

A lack of fire prevention facilities accounted for 18 cases while the provision of container accommodations unsuitable for residential use totaled 16 cases. Workplaces and local governments where violations have been confirmed will be subject to appropriate punitive measures. Relief procedures will be taken for victims of human rights violations after further investigations.

The Ministry of Justice will continue inspections of 3,445 other workplaces in 27 cities and counties nationwide until June 30, 2026. Those inspections will check foreign workers' overall working and living environment, including involvement of illegal brokers, wage arrears and violations of labor contracts. The findings come from a single round of inspections completed last month.

The ministry's headquarters sits in the city of Gwacheon, just south of Seoul. Officials described the violations without providing names of the specific workplaces or local governments involved. Punitive measures will target both employers and the local authorities responsible for oversight at the affected sites.

Further investigations are required before relief is extended to the individual victims. The scale of the initial probe, covering eight cities and counties, represents only a fraction of the nationwide effort now underway. By the end of June 2026 the ministry aims to have reviewed conditions at nearly 3,500 additional workplaces.