Korea overhauls anti-trafficking policy to protect foreign workers more effectively

Korea has announced a major overhaul of its anti-trafficking policy, unveiling new measures to promptly identify and protect victims — especially foreign seasonal and maritime workers. The plan, revealed Friday by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, comes after years of criticism over the slow detection and recognition of such abuse cases, particularly in low-wage migrant labor. Rights activists have long argued that official victim numbers vastly understate the real scale of abuse in Korea. Between 2023 and March 2026, the government formally recognized only 70 people as “victims of trafficking,” 58 of whom are foreign nationals. A strict legal definition of trafficking is the reason that most officially confirmed victims are noncitizens — that the crime requires elements such as “movement of the person,” including cross-border movement. Under the reforms, police, labor and other ministries will tighten cooperation and share relevant information. When frontline officials encounter possible victims during inspections or investigations, they should immediately link the

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