President Lee Jae-myung said on the 5th that he ordered his aides to address issues related to wage arrears and mistreatment of foreign workers residing in the country, according to the Presidential Office. During a senior-level meeting that morning, President Lee stated, "Foreigners staying in Korea should not be treated unfairly, in line with the country's elevated status as a cultural nation from a trading nation," and instructed the preparation of support measures for them.
According to spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong, President Lee conveyed the contents of his first conversation with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelbaatar the previous day and emphasized the need to improve the treatment of migrant workers. President Lee noted, "President Khürelbaatar expressed gratitude for taking special care of his citizens during the conversation," and added, "Such matters should invariably arise in conversations between heads of state. I feel that we have become a contributing nation, instead of one that only received benefits in the past."
This is not the first time President Lee pointed out issues regarding the treatment of migrant workers. During a senior aides meeting he hosted on July 24, President Lee referred to a video of 'forklift abuse,' stating, "This is barbaric human rights abuse, and it will be punished strictly." The video, secured by the Jeonnam Migrant Workers Network, shows a Sri Lankan migrant worker in his 30s being bound to a load and lifted by a forklift at a brick factory in Naju, South Jeolla Province. It also confirmed Korean colleagues urging the migrant worker to "admit wrongdoing" and "acknowledge the fault."
During the Cabinet meeting on the 2nd, issues regarding wage arrears were also discussed, instructing the Ministry of Justice to consider a "departure prohibition" measure. President Lee stated, "Foreign workers who have been deprived of their wages should be prohibited from leaving the country until they receive their money. We must also consider giving them a chance to receive their wages before allowing them to leave." He added, "If these people are forcibly deported, the business owners will never pay them, leading them to purposely withhold wages. We should not indiscriminately expel those caught for being undocumented. Business owners exploit this situation by reporting them after withholding their wages and forcibly deporting them; this tarnishes the country's reputation."
Spokesperson Kang stated, "President Lee addressed the issue of foreign workers who were treated unfairly in the forklift incident during the senior aides meeting, emphasizing that we must also oversee wage arrears for not only domestic workers but also foreign workers. As the country's status has risen to the point where we receive thanks from foreign leaders, he instructed a thorough investigation and support measures for this issue to be prepared and submitted."