○ The Gyeonggi Institute of Research and Policy Development for Migrant Human Rights has employed a lawyer to enhance legal services for foreigners.
○ The newly employed lawyer will perform tasks including legal counseling and representation to directly protect foreign resident rights.
– Support pertains to wages, employment, and the human rights of the economically vulnerable
○ The lawyer will create a work manual, provide education, manage the Diversity and Communication Coordination Committee, and offer advice for policy development and research.

The Gyeonggi Institute of Research and Policy Development for Migrants’ Human Rights has employed a professional lawyer to enhance legal services for foreign resident human rights in Gyeonggi Province.
Gyeonggi Province took this measure as it recognized the need for professional personnel dedicated to services for foreign residents since 32.7% of foreign residents in Korea live in the province, exceeding 670,000 as of 2018.
Attorney Song Won (4th Bar Examination), the lawyer employed by the center, is a Yonsei Law School graduate with legal expertise and foreign language skills. He has been dedicated to the protection of minority human rights, providing legal counseling, and advice, as well as representation for the homeless.
In cooperation with the center, he will perform tasks to directly protect the rights of foreign residents who are economically vulnerable, including legal counseling and representation regarding their wages, employment, and human rights.
In addition, he will create a manual on counseling regarding the human rights of foreign nationals and provide education on the subject in order to build a community in which diversity is respected.
Song will also manage and operate the Diversity and Communication Coordination Committee, which consists of 15 experts, and work to settle cultural conflicts and promote social harmony between Korean and foreign residents.
He will provide advice on policy development and research regarding the enactment of anti-discrimination and human rights protection ordinances as well as the amendment of relevant laws including immigration law based on his legal expertise.
Song expressed his aspiration, saying, “I have been critical of the xenophobia prevalent in Korean society, which is what prompted me to apply for this job. I will dedicate myself as a lawyer to making our society respectful of diversity.”
Hong Dong-gi, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Foreign Resident Policy Division, said, “Gyeonggi Province’s legal services for the protection of foreign resident human rights will be enhanced in terms of expertise and effectiveness. Gyeonggi Province will take the lead in preventing human rights violations and protecting the rights of foreign residents in various ways such as by hiring legal experts, promoting policies, and providing education related to immigrants.”