Goheung County Launches Initiative for 'Zero Human Rights Violations' Among Seasonal Workers

Operation of the "30-Day Golden Time Intensive Management System"
Thorough On-Site Monitoring From Arrival to Departure

Goheung County, as part of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, announced on the 30th that it has begun establishing a field-centered, intensive monitoring and management system to protect the human rights of foreign seasonal workers and support their stable settlement.

In order to help new arrivals adapt quickly and proactively prevent workplace conflicts, including cases of human rights violations, the county has implemented a "30-Day Golden Time Intensive Management System" immediately following entry. Additionally, it has significantly reinforced two-way responsibility training for both workers and employers.

On the 29th, Goheung County conducted a safe seasonal work accompaniment training for foreign seasonal workers at the Goheung Returning to Farming and Rural Happiness School. Provided by Goheung County

On the 29th, the county held a "safe seasonal work accompaniment education" session for 36 Filipino seasonal workers and their employers who entered Korea via Incheon International Airport, immediately after their arrival in Goheung. In particular, through an interpretation agreement with the Jeonnam Eastern Immigration and Foreigners Support Center, a designated public official and interpreter accompanied the workers from entry, helping resolve initial anxieties.

This education is a response to proactively and sternly address recent concerns about the human rights of foreign workers. Goheung County has designated the 30-day period after arrival, when conflicts are most likely to occur due to unfamiliar environments and language or cultural differences, as the "Golden Time" and operates a responsibility management system encompassing both workers and employers.

At the session, workers received guidance on observing employment contract terms, channels for filing grievances, and crime prevention education in cooperation with the Goheung Police Station. Employers were educated about rules for respecting human rights, standard wage payment guidelines, ensuring appropriate break times, and standards for managing residential environments, emphasizing their strict legal and ethical responsibilities.

Afterwards, both workers and employers gathered for a “coexistence partnership pledge ceremony,” where they jointly promised diligent work and human rights protection, as well as declared a culture of mutual respect.

Following the education, Goheung County will operate field inspection teams for 30 days to conduct focused checks on actual working conditions, overdue wages, and the hygiene and safety of accommodations.

In particular, “one-on-one in-depth counseling sessions with workers,” conducted separately from employers, will become routine. This approach will enable the county to constantly check for human rights violations such as verbal or physical abuse and unfair treatment, and to immediately issue corrective orders and authorize worksite changes if problems arise.

An official from the county’s population policy office stated, “Human rights protection cannot be achieved by the efforts of just one party; rapid adaptation support for workers and mature human rights awareness on the part of employers must work together.” The official added, “From the day of entry to the day of departure, we will establish a thorough Goheung-style seasonal worker management and supervision system through direct field checks, to create a safe workplace free of human rights violations.”

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