Migrant workers harvest water parsley at a field in Busan, Dec. 18, 2024. Yonhap
A new government-backed campaign seeks to change how workers are addressed on factory floors and at industrial worksites in Korea, urging employers to move away from dismissive or overly casual labels for immigrant laborers and instead use their given names.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Monday that it launched the Immigrant Worker Labor Respect Campaign at an industrial site in Ulsan, a major port city in the southeast. The event, which drew approximately 100 foreign workers and representatives from labor rights foundations, centered on a highly symbolic gesture: the distribution of safety helmets engraved with each worker's individual name. Officials said the initiative is a direct challenge to a long-standing workplace culture where foreign staff are frequently addressed by generic titles, numbers or informal honorifics that critics argue strip them of their professional dignity.
The campaign is rooted in the belief that linguistic respect is a prerequisite for physical safety. By emphasizing the use of names and formal honorifics, authorities hope to foster an environment where immigrant employees are viewed as equal colleagues. Labor officials noted that workplaces characterized by mutual respect often see improved communication, which is critical for accident prevention in high-risk industrial settings.
The rollout arrives at a pivotal moment for Korean labor policy.
Facing an acute demographic crisis and a shrinking domestic workforce, the government has moved to significantly expand the quota for foreign workers. However, as the number of E-9 visa holders reaches record highs, workplaces in the country have faced scrutiny over safety gaps and discriminatory practices.
"It is meaningful to hold this campaign on Labor Day, which has regained its original name after 63 years," the ministry said in a statement, referring to the recent official designation change of the holiday. "No worker should face discrimination or safety gaps because of nationality."
The program is part of a broader cooperation agreement signed in mid-April between the labor ministry and four major foundations. While the initial events are centered in Ulsan, officials plan to expand the initiative to Gwangju in May, with a nationwide rollout expected to follow. For a country historically defined by its ethnic homogeneity, the campaign serves as a state-led attempt to modernize industrial culture as it becomes an increasingly multicultural society.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
Source: Korea Times News
