Goheung County Launches Exceptional Measures for Human Rights Violations Against Foreign Seasonal Workers

Declaring a Zero-Tolerance Policy on Human Rights Violations

Regardless of Management Authority or Visa Status

Goheung County, in the Jeonnam-Gwangju Metropolitan Special City, expressed deep regret on September 22 over recent allegations of human rights violations involving foreign non-professional employment (E-9) workers at local fisheries workplaces. The county announced that, regardless of the managing entity or workers’ visa status, it will implement a set of comprehensive and exceptional measures aimed at eradicating all human rights violations at every workplace in the area.

This incident reportedly occurred at a regular fishery workplace managed and assigned under the government's Employment Permit System (E-9), with the Ministry of Employment and Labor holding the legal authority for employment permits and workplace oversight.

A view of the Goheung County Office building.

However, the county said it feels a grave sense of responsibility as similar suspicions have reemerged at local workplaces, following issues with seasonal workers’ human rights earlier this year. Goheung County officially declared its firm stance, stating, "We will never turn a blind eye to or neglect any human rights violations occurring within our jurisdiction, regardless of whether such matters fall under local or central government authority."

Accordingly, Goheung County announced that it will immediately implement four key countermeasures to ensure swift remediation of workers’ rights and prevent any recurrence.

First, Goheung County will expand its human rights protection system to cover all local workplaces, accompanied by emergency inspections. Building on its ongoing close management framework for seasonal workers, the county will conduct emergency, comprehensive inspections of agricultural and fishery employment sites in October. Elements such as forced work outside labor contracts, accommodation conditions, and verbal and physical abuse will be thoroughly investigated through 1:1 in-person interviews, with interpreters present.

Second, the county will strengthen human rights training for approximately 400 employers and enforce a "one-strike-out" policy. In October, human rights sensitivity and labor law compliance training will be provided to around 400 local agricultural and fishery employers. If human rights violations are found at any workplace or by any employer, strict sanctions will be imposed—including the suspension of foreign seasonal worker placements—to prevent any recurrence.

Third, Goheung County will further improve the field effectiveness of its existing “Zero Human Rights Violations: Four Key Areas, Fifteen Initiatives.” The existing policies, which span from a worker’s arrival to their departure, will be operated with greater precision. In addition, “30-day golden time monitoring” after arrival will become standard practice, dramatically strengthening on-site oversight so that not a single case of verbal, physical abuse, or unfair labor practices can be tolerated.

Fourth, the county will work more closely with related organizations, such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, to eliminate management blind spots. Goheung County will officially urge the Ministry and the local fisheries cooperative to strengthen overall inspections and labor supervision at all Employment Permit System (E-9) workplaces. Additionally, the county plans to operate a close “Human Rights Hotline” with immigration, police, and fisheries cooperatives to establish a robust response system, including swift referral for legal action when necessary.

An official from Goheung County commented, “Foreign workers are invaluable partners who support local agriculture and fisheries facing labor shortages. Under no circumstances should a worker’s fundamental human rights or safety be compromised. We are fully committed to creating a safe workplace built on respect and trust for both workers and employers. We will dedicate all administrative resources to realizing a Goheung with zero human rights violations and zero unauthorized departures.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.