3 days ago
Foreign workers in S. Korea face triple the workplace death risk of Korean nationals
Foreign workers in South Korea are dying on the job at rates far higher than Korean nationals. In just the first half of this year, 75 workers lost their lives, according to new government figures.
The disparity in fatality rates is stark. Foreign nationals make up just 3.4 percent of South Korea's total workforce, about 1 million out of 29 million workers. Yet they account for between 10 and 15 percent of workplace accident deaths each year.
Based on those proportions, the likelihood of dying in a workplace accident is roughly three to four times higher for foreign workers than for Korean nationals.
The new figures come from the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, which also tracks injury and illness claims. Between January and June, foreign employees submitted 5,173 claims, up 4.5 percent from 4,950 in the same period in 2024. Most were for accident-related injuries (4,415 cases), while a smaller portion involved occupational diseases (758 cases).
During that same period, compensation was approved in 59 of the 75 death cases. Fatal accidents were recognized in nearly every instance (51 approvals out of 53 claims), while occupational disease deaths were far less likely to be approved (8 approvals out of 22 claims).
The number of claims from foreign workers has been climbing steadily for years. Annual claims by foreign workers grew from 8,062 in 2020 to more than 10,000 in 2024.
Labor experts say this is no coincidence. Many foreign employees are concentrated in sectors with higher accident risks such as construction, manufacturing and agriculture. They also face language barriers, social discrimination and unstable contracts that can make it difficult to demand safer working conditions. Under the current Employment Permit System, changing employers is tightly restricted, even for workers in dangerous environments.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor has announced plans to relax these restrictions so that foreign workers can more easily move to safer workplaces.
Lee Yong-woo, a senior researcher at the IOM Migration Research and Training Center, said foreign workers face 'a combination of language barriers, social discrimination and unstable employment status' that heightens their risk compared with the broader workforce.
He urged authorities to also address 'blind spots' such as workplace safety for undocumented laborers.
