South Korea’s Growing Migrant Workforce and Their Struggle for Rights 

By Daniel Sung, Steph Kang 

Saudi Arabia, set to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, is drawing intense scrutiny over its treatment of the massive migrant workforce tasked with building the nation’s ambitious sporting infrastructure. 

Installations of vast supporting facilities, including 11 new stadiums and 132 training venues, are planned. However, with Saudi nationals making up only around 18 million people, the kingdom has leaned heavily on laborers from Africa and South Asia.

Behind these unprecedented scales of development lies a human cost that has raised alarms from multiple human rights advocacies. Many of the workers in the desert are exposed to the scorching desert heat that goes well over 50°C during summer. Furthermore, reports by Human Rights Watch detail dozens of deaths—ranging from falls at construction sites to fatal electrocutions and heatstroke—that could have been prevented.

About 7000 kilometers east of Saudi Arabia lies South Korea, and the issues surrounding the migrant workforce appear to mirror those in the kingdom. With a current figure of 2.46 million foreigners residing in South Korea, the number of foreigners is rapidly rising each year. The Ministry of Public Administration and Security Korea reported the number of foreigners in 2024 increased by 200,000 in only a year, and the rate of increments is expected to continue in the next few years. Amongst these residents, the number of foreign workers hit over 1 million around a year ago, most of whom are employed in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and various service industries. Foreign workers in South Korea are predominantly from countries such as China (36.2%), Vietnam (11.5%), Thailand (7.1%), and Uzbekistan (3.6%). The increase of foreign workers in South Korea is to be examined from a societal standpoint; the population of South Korea is facing rapid aging, and there is a lack of foreign workers in the suburban and rural areas outside of Seoul. The employers’ preference for foreign workers is strong due to the fact that they often have limited employment options and therefore accept low wages, harsh workforce conditions, and unethically long hours. The prerequisites of holding an E-9 or H-2 visa to establish residence persuade workers to sign such unfair contracts.

The poor condition of the workforce leads to violation of human rights—the recent case of the ‘Nepal worker’s death incident in Jeonnam’ depicts the truth about the treatment of foreign workers. Migrant workers faced persistent mistreatment, including verbal harassment, physical abuse, and wage cuts—turning their workplaces into sites of both exploitation and intimidation. Such treatment resulted in the workers’ suicide and departure from their jobs. The frequent mental and physical abuse of foreign workers has been fundamentally derived from the social recognition that Korean people have of the workers, due to stereotypes, language barriers, and the perception that they take on the low-paying or physically demanding jobs. 

Government agencies and human rights organizations are working to foster harmony and ethics between foreign workers and native employers by promoting social integration, protecting labor rights, and raising public awareness. These efforts include expanding lingual education programs, strengthening enforcement of workplace safety standards, and establishing accessible reporting channels for abuse. Collaborative initiatives between local governments, NGOs, and community groups are also improving intercultural understanding and support networks for both workers and their families.