South Korean Police will launch a 100-day special crackdown on abuses against migrant workers, the Korean National Police Agency has said.

Each of the nation’s 18 regional Police agencies has formed a special unit that will operate till 25 November to investigate cases of violence, assault, confinement, coercion, humiliation, sexual abuse and labour exploitation targeting foreign workers.

The initiative follows nationwide outrage over a video showing a Sri Lankan worker being strapped to a forklift and lifted off the ground. The incident occurred in February at a brick factory in Naju, the South Jeolla Province, where the Sri Lankan, who had been working there for just three months, was allegedly harassed by a Korean forklift driver in his 50s after making mistakes on the job. 

The 31-year-old Sri Lankan worker suffered the mistreatment for about five minutes as a punishment imposed by the South Korean forklift driver. The worker has said that he suffered stress and mental anguish as a result of the incident.

The Police units will now identify cases by analysing 112 emergency calls and gathering information from foreign worker support centres run by non-governmental organisations and multicultural organisations, and will launch investigations when necessary. The authorities will also establish a hotline with the Ministry of Employment and Labour to conduct joint on-site inspections, and plan to promptly notify the ministry of cases that fall under its jurisdiction, such as unpaid wages.

On 17 August, Sri Lankan Ambassador to South Korea Savitri Panabokke visited Naju, where she called for the stronger protection of migrant workers’ rights and measures to prevent human rights abuses. 

“Although it is regrettable that such an incident occurred, the City has shown strong support and concern. The Embassy will also seek to prevent a recurrence through labour education programs for our nationals,” she said.