An illustration depicting human rights abuses against foreign workers. [Generated with AI]
An illustration depicting human rights abuses against foreign workers. [Generated with AI]

Reports of human rights abuses against foreign workers jumped sixfold in a single month after a dedicated hotline was set up to receive such complaints.

The Ministry of Justice said it received 142 reports in the first month after launching a dedicated reporting line for foreign workers on May 27 — a 6.4-fold increase from the monthly average of 22 reports logged before the line was established.

The 1345 Foreign Information Center provides counseling and information in 20 languages to foreigners and overseas Koreans living in South Korea, covering visa and residency inquiries and third-party interpretation services.

Since May 27, the ministry has designated option 1 on the 1345 line as a dedicated channel for reporting human rights abuses. Foreign workers who call 1345 and press 1 are immediately connected to a multilingual counselor who can take their report or provide guidance.

Workers without a Korean phone number can also file reports through a Facebook page. Once a complaint is received, the ministry plans to refer cases to relevant agencies — including immigrant rights officers at 19 immigration offices nationwide, a one-stop support center for crime victims, and community lawyers for foreigners — to help secure remedies.

Cha Yong-ho, head of the ministry's Immigration and Foreign Policy Bureau, visited the Foreign Information Center on Thursday to review the reporting system and urged counselors to "respond with care and a sense of responsibility at every step — from taking a foreign worker's report to providing counseling and connecting them with the right agencies."


20ki@heraldcorp.com