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Holding a Consultative Meeting of the Relevant Agencies on Measures to Improve Human Rights and Working Conditions of Foreign Workers in the Fisheries Sector
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Date
2026.06.02.
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115
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Holding a Consultative Meeting of the Relevant Agencies on Measures to Improve Human Rights and Working Conditions of Foreign Workers in the Fisheries Sector
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo) announced that it would be holding a consultative meeting of the relevant agencies, related ministries such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor, local governments, affiliated organizations including the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as the Environmental Justice Foundation on Thursday, May 28 to discuss measures to improve the labor environment in the fisheries sector.
MOF has worked to strengthen the management of fishing vessels with five or more crew members and to improve the labor environment for foreign workers in the fisheries sector by amending the Act on the Safe Fishing of Fishing Vessels. However, there have been ongoing demands to protect the human rights of foreign seasonal workers employed for short-term periods at places such as fish farms and improve their working conditions further.
Accordingly, the Ministry plans to improve the human rights and working conditions of foreign workers by strengthening the oversight of foreign worker recruitment agencies, expanding the number of public-type foreign seasonal workers, and establishing mandatory insurance and introducing standard contracts. There are also plans for comprehensively improving related systems including conducting regular fact-finding surveys jointly with the Ministry of Labor and other agencies and establishing new economic and administrative sanctions against forced labor.
“We plan to continue listening to voices from the field and devise improvement measures actively even after this council meeting. We will also improve the overall management system by unifying related tasks and laws, among others,” said Choi Hyun-ho, Deputy Minister of Fisheries Policy at MOF.
- Gathering opinions from approximately 20 agencies including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Ministry of Employment and Labor, Ministry of Justice, local governments, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, and non-profit organizations
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo) announced that it would be holding a consultative meeting of the relevant agencies, related ministries such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor, local governments, affiliated organizations including the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as the Environmental Justice Foundation on Thursday, May 28 to discuss measures to improve the labor environment in the fisheries sector.
MOF has worked to strengthen the management of fishing vessels with five or more crew members and to improve the labor environment for foreign workers in the fisheries sector by amending the Act on the Safe Fishing of Fishing Vessels. However, there have been ongoing demands to protect the human rights of foreign seasonal workers employed for short-term periods at places such as fish farms and improve their working conditions further.
Accordingly, the Ministry plans to improve the human rights and working conditions of foreign workers by strengthening the oversight of foreign worker recruitment agencies, expanding the number of public-type foreign seasonal workers, and establishing mandatory insurance and introducing standard contracts. There are also plans for comprehensively improving related systems including conducting regular fact-finding surveys jointly with the Ministry of Labor and other agencies and establishing new economic and administrative sanctions against forced labor.
“We plan to continue listening to voices from the field and devise improvement measures actively even after this council meeting. We will also improve the overall management system by unifying related tasks and laws, among others,” said Choi Hyun-ho, Deputy Minister of Fisheries Policy at MOF.
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