On the 1st, the presidential office called it a "clear national disgrace" that nine Filipino seasonal workers were ultimately deemed victims by the government after suffering wage exploitation and human rights abuses in Korea, and ordered a sweeping overhaul of the supervisory system by the relevant ministries. It directed the establishment of a stringent nationwide management system to prevent a recurrence.
Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik presided over a meeting of senior aides at the presidential office that afternoon and said, "If our society fails to protect the rights of foreign workers, the nation's credibility will inevitably decline." He specifically mentioned that the Philippine government imposed a "suspension of worker deployment" on 15 domestic regions where "illegal broker transactions" were uncovered.
Kang also ordered the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL), the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Ministry of Justice to jointly overhaul the supervisory system covering foreign workers' labor conditions, wage arrears, and overall living environments.
According to ChosunBiz reporting compiled that day, the Central Support Center for Victims of Trafficking and Other Crimes under the minister of gender equality and family (Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea) convened a case review committee on the 19th and decided to issue "victim confirmation letters" to nine Filipino seasonal workers. The Philippine Embassy in Korea was also said to have interviewed them directly and heard their accounts.
They worked on farms in Anseong, Gyeonggi; Haenam, South Jeolla; and Seosan, South Chungcheong. Their workdays exceeded 12 hours, but brokers pocketed most of their pay. After making them sign a loan agreement with a monthly interest rate of 5%, the brokers took the money by automatically deducting it from wages. Overtime pay was not provided either. On top of that, employers allegedly hurled insults and abusive language and threatened, "If you complain, we will send you back to the Philippines."