○ Comprehensive review of working conditions, housing, verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and illegal brokerage issues
– Visiting survey targeting 420 foreign seasonal workers at 115 farms across 19 cities and counties in Gyeonggi
– Plans to gather feedback from 100 employers and 30 provincial, city and county officials, as well as National Agricultural Cooperative Federation staff members from September to facilitate institutional improvements to seasonal worker programs
○ Distributing heatstroke safety guides and prevention kits to protect workers from heat-related illnesses

Gyeonggi Province is conducting its first-ever human rights survey of foreign seasonal workers within the province until August 30.

The Foreign Seasonal Worker Program supports the legal short-term employment of foreign workers in agriculture, including matters such as immigration requirements and employee management, to address labor shortages caused by the declining rural population, aging workforce, and rising labor costs. Seasonal workers are eligible to stay in Korea for up to eight months,

The Ministry of Justice allocates foreign seasonal workers based on requests from local governments. Since launching the program in 2021, Gyeonggi Province has seen the number of workers grow annually, from 1,497 in 2023 to 2,877 in 2024 and 5,258 in 2025.

Unlike migrant workers who must pass a Korean language test under the employment permit system, seasonal workers undergo no such procedure, resulting in many who do not speak Korean. This language barrier, coupled with issues like poor working conditions and problematic brokers, increases their risk of human rights violations.

The provincial government has underscored this issue, focusing on the fact that seasonal workers may struggle to report abuses immediately or receive appropriate support.

This survey is jointly conducted by Gyeonggi’s Human Rights Officer, Agricultural Policy Division, and the Gyeonggi Agro-Fisheries Institute, as well as by Hanyang University’s Institute of Globalization and Multicultural Studies. Its purpose is to accurately assess the human rights status of foreign seasonal workers and to inform policy development.

Since June 14, surveyors have visited 115 farms in 19 cities and counties, interviewing 420 foreign seasonal workers about employment contracts, wage arrears, living conditions, verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and illegal brokerage.

To facilitate understanding, questionnaires are available in six languages—Vietnamese, Lao, Khmer, Tagalog, Thai, and Nepali. Interpreters also accompany surveyors to address language barriers and hear workers’ concerns, including their Korean proficiency and adaptation to life in Korea.

The Gyeonggi Agro-Fisheries Institute is also distributing heatwave safety posters and prevention kits to protect workers from heat-related illnesses and promote safe farming practices.

Starting in September, the initiative will collect feedback on the seasonal worker program’s status and field-related issues from 100 employers and 30 provincial, city and county officials, as well as Nonghyup staff members, to facilitate institutional improvements.

Survey results will be used to develop sustainable policies for the foreign seasonal worker program and will form the basis of a policy recommendation report to be submitted to the Gyeonggi Human Rights Commission in December.

Choi Hyeon-jeong, Gyeonggi-do’s Human Rights Officer, stated, “We will assess human rights conditions of foreign seasonal workers in the province and establish practical measures to improve them.” She added, “We stand committed to creating an environment in Gyeonggi Province that supports foreign seasonal workers facing challenges in Korea and on the farms that employ them.”