○ Eight key recommendations based on international human rights standards
○ The province plans to strengthen protections across labor, housing, and remedy systems by reflecting commission recommendations

Gyeonggi Province announced that it has developed eight institutional improvement recommendations aimed at fundamentally preventing the unlawful intervention of brokers exploiting foreign seasonal workers and improving poor housing and working conditions. The recommendations follow a decision made at the fifth Human Rights Commission meeting held on March 10. They are particularly notable for presenting a human rights-based policy direction that integrates domestic laws with international human rights standards, including recommendations from the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

The Foreign Seasonal Worker Program allows local governments to legally employ foreign workers for short-term, intensive periods in the agricultural and fisheries sectors during peak seasons, such as planting and harvesting. Gyeonggi first introduced the program in 2021.

Reflecting the on-the-ground human rights conditions of seasonal workers, the recommendations outline eight key tasks: establishing a response system for victims of human trafficking involving brokers; mandating the provision and explanation of standard labor contracts in multiple languages; strengthening the issuance of multilingual wage statements; improving housing conditions; establishing an integrated rights remedy mechanism, including a 24-hour hotline; allocating budget support for human rights education and developing multilingual educational materials; strengthening employer accountability and consulting; and expanding dedicated personnel at the city and county levels.

The full text of the recommendations by the Gyeonggi Provincial Human Rights Commission is available on the Gyeonggi Human Rights Center website (https://www.gg.go.kr/humanrights) under the “Human Rights Violations and Recommendation Cases” section.

Meanwhile, a survey conducted from July to September 2025 by the province’s Human Rights Division and Agricultural Policy Division found that 30.3% of 400 seasonal workers, or 121 individuals, paid unlawful brokerage fees. Such involvement of brokers and the collection of fees under the Foreign Seasonal Worker Program are illegal.

Labor contract issues caused by language barriers were also identified. Although 95.8% (382 of 399) of surveyed workers reported difficulties communicating in Korean, only 48.9% (152 of 311) had received a labor contract translated into their native language. Housing conditions were also found to be inadequate, with 22.8% of respondents (26 out of 114) living in temporary structures, such as prefabricated units installed inside greenhouses. Moreover, 87 respondents who experienced verbal abuse, sexual harassment, or passport confiscation stated that they endured the situation because they did not know how to respond or feared that reporting it would worsen their circumstances.

Choi Hyun-jeong, Human Rights Officer of Gyeonggi Province, stated, “For the seasonal worker program to take root successfully in rural communities, the protection of workers’ human rights must come first,” adding, “We will continue to improve the system and conduct thorough on-site inspections to create a reliable working environment where workers can perform their duties without fear of exploitation and employers can focus on farming with peace of mind.”