South Korea Expands Campaign to Call Migrant Workers by Their Names

A Workplace Campaign Built Around Names

Five companies in Haenam-gun are taking part in a campaign to call migrant workers by their names, while hundreds of name tags have been distributed in Jangseong-gun and Muan-gun. Factories in Ulsan, a major industrial city, have also joined the effort. What began in South Jeolla Province in early 2024 is spreading across southern South Korea and beyond.

The Jeollanamdo Contingent Workers Centre, a human rights organization based in South Jeolla Province, launched the initiative with local companies and civic groups. Its practical tool is simple: name stickers placed on workers' hard hats and uniforms. Its purpose is to replace generic pronouns, profanity and expressions such as "ya," meaning "hey," with an address that recognizes the person doing the work.

Local governments, human rights groups and businesses are supporting the campaign as South Korea becomes more diverse. In 2023, 1.19 million people out of a population of 51 million were members of what are called "multicultural families," meaning families with at least one member who is not ethnically Korean. Those figures amount to about 2.3 percent of the population.

South Korea has long been regarded as one of the world's most ethnically homogeneous societies. Demographic change and economic demand have brought more people from different backgrounds into its communities and workplaces. For migrant employees, the campaign connects a daily interaction with larger concerns about discrimination, belonging and safety. Its expansion also comes amid public anger over the abuse of a Sri Lankan worker at a brick factory in Naju.

Why a Name Carries Weight

The Jeollanamdo Contingent Workers Centre describes using a person's name as a basic gesture of recognition and respect. A representative of the organization explained why the campaign links that gesture to both working relationships and communication:

Addressing someone by their name is a starting point for building a relationship based on respect. It helps migrant workers feel more comfortable and can even prevent industrial accidents by improving communication.

Korean speech has different levels of formality and respect. The way a person addresses a colleague can communicate how they see that colleague's status and place in the workplace. Using a name signals recognition of an individual. Calling someone "ya," or referring to them only by a job title, can sound dismissive or demeaning, particularly when the person is already treated as an outsider.

Migrant workers who feel invisible can therefore experience the use of their names as more than politeness. It acknowledges their identity and humanity. The campaign presents this everyday change as a first step toward tackling deeper patterns of exclusion and discrimination.

Name stickers also give colleagues a visible reminder of how to address each other. The initiative brings together a physical object on a uniform or hard hat and a change in everyday speech. Its organizers connect both with the aim of making foreign workers feel more comfortable in their workplaces.

The Naju Abuse That Prompted Outrage

A video that surfaced in February showed a Sri Lankan worker at a brick factory in Naju, South Jeolla Province, tied up with plastic wrap and moved by forklift. His colleagues laughed and mocked him. The worker, who was 31, later said colleagues rarely used his name, addressing him instead with pronouns or profanity.

The video spread widely and provoked public outrage. President Lee Jae-myung ordered a government investigation into the treatment of migrant workers. During a Cabinet meeting, Lee condemned the incident in these terms:

an intolerable violation and a clear human rights infringement,

Lee also called for urgent measures to prevent similar abuse. The worker's description of how colleagues addressed him placed the name campaign alongside a much more serious case of workplace mistreatment. Both concern whether migrant employees are treated as people entitled to respect.

Human rights activists and labor experts say the Naju incident was not an isolated case. Migrant workers often take jobs that are poorly paid or dangerous and that local workers avoid. Their concerns extend beyond insults to the conditions in which people work and the risks they face.

Safety Is Part of the Argument

A 2024 report found that migrant workers in South Korea were more than three times as likely as their Korean counterparts to die in industrial accidents. Many attribute that gap to poor communication, insufficient training and a workplace culture that pushes foreign employees to the margins.

Communication matters because workers need to understand instructions and warnings. The campaign's organizers connect respectful address with a workplace where migrant employees feel more comfortable communicating. Their argument brings courtesy and safety into the same conversation.

A labor rights advocate described the link between knowing a colleague's name and caring about that person's welfare:

When you know someone's name, you are more likely to look out for them. It's harder to ignore their well-being or treat them as expendable.

Activists see the campaign as a practical step toward improving safety and morale. Their wider concerns also include training, language barriers and working conditions. A name sticker is the visible part of an effort that depends on how employers and colleagues behave throughout the working day.

Employers and Communities Join In

Companies in Haenam-gun, workers in Jangseong-gun and Muan-gun, and factories in Ulsan show how the initiative is moving beyond its starting point. Five participating companies in Haenam-gun and hundreds of distributed name tags provide concrete signs of that spread.

Employers are being encouraged to adopt the name tag practice and provide cultural sensitivity training for staff. Such training is intended to help colleagues understand differences in background and recognize behavior that can leave people feeling excluded. Community groups and nongovernmental organizations are also organizing workshops and public awareness events.

A factory manager in Haenam-gun described an initial period of doubt followed by a change in daily interactions:

At first, some workers were skeptical. But after a few weeks, you could see the atmosphere change. People started greeting each other by name, and there was less tension on the floor.

The campaign depends on participation from both employers and local communities. Businesses influence how workers are treated inside factories, while civic groups and local authorities help carry the message beyond individual workplaces. The manager's account describes the kind of everyday change the initiative seeks: colleagues greeting one another by name and experiencing less tension at work.

South Jeolla Links Respect With Practical Support

South Jeolla Province has one of the country's highest proportions of foreign residents. Its foreign population increased by 18.5 percent in 2023 to nearly 87,000. That growth has made support for migrants an increasingly immediate concern for the provincial government.

The province has introduced policies intended to assist migrant workers, including medical clinics for people who are not covered by the national health insurance program. These services address a practical need alongside the campaign's focus on respectful treatment.

Healthcare support and the name initiative are parts of a broader effort toward social integration. In everyday terms, that means helping newcomers take part in local life and obtain the support they need. The province's approach connects access to services with the question of how residents and workers are treated.

The two population figures describe different groups: nearly 87,000 foreign residents in South Jeolla Province and 1.19 million people in multicultural families nationwide. Together, they show why local services and workplace relationships have become part of South Korea's response to a more diverse society.

A Growing Need for Migrant Labor

South Korea's reliance on migrant labor has grown steadily over the past two decades. A rapidly aging population and a shrinking domestic workforce have led the country to turn to foreign employees to fill jobs in manufacturing, agriculture and services. Younger Koreans often avoid work in these sectors.

As of 2023, hundreds of thousands of migrants, mostly from Southeast Asia and China, were working in South Korea under various visa programs. Their labor helps meet demand in sectors where employers need workers, while their experiences expose continuing problems with discrimination, wage theft and unsafe conditions.

Migrant workers have also faced legal and social barriers. Until recently, their rights to organize or join labor unions were limited. In 2015, the Ministry of Employment and Labor registered the country's first migrant worker trade union, marking a milestone in labor rights. A union gives workers a collective way to seek better conditions and represent shared concerns.

The government has periodically introduced reforms, but progress has been slow. The Naju forklift incident and the public anger that followed have renewed calls for stronger protections and greater respect for foreign employees.

The main developments span several years:

• 2015: The Ministry of Employment and Labor registered South Korea's first migrant worker trade union.
• 2023: Multicultural families accounted for 1.19 million people nationwide, while South Jeolla's foreign population rose by 18.5 percent to nearly 87,000.
• Early 2024: The Jeollanamdo Contingent Workers Centre began the campaign to address migrant workers by name.
• 2024: A report found migrant workers were more than three times as likely as Korean workers to die in industrial accidents.
• February: The video of abuse at the Naju brick factory surfaced, drawing widespread outrage.
• By July 30, 2025: The campaign had spread to participating companies and communities across southern South Korea and beyond.

Hostility Beyond the Workplace

Foreign residents also face tensions outside their jobs. In the run-up to the 2025 presidential election, some political groups stirred anti-foreigner sentiment, particularly against Chinese nationals and ethnic Korean-Chinese residents. Protests and hate speech left many foreign residents feeling anxious and unwelcome.

A Chinese restaurant owner in Seoul, who spoke anonymously because of concern about being targeted, described that fear:

We don't want to speak about it. As a foreign national, I could be targeted.

Another expatriate recounted being shoved on the subway for speaking Mandarin. These experiences show how hostility can affect ordinary activities, from operating a restaurant to traveling on public transport.

The name campaign takes place within this wider social climate. Its focus is the workplace, but the effort to build respectful relationships sits alongside concerns about how foreign residents are treated in public life. Political rhetoric, community attitudes and daily encounters all shape whether people feel welcome.

Lee Orders a Review Amid Political Division

President Lee Jae-myung has presented himself as a champion of social welfare and reform. He grew up in poverty and worked in factories as a teenager, a personal history that resonates with many working class and marginalized citizens. His administration has pledged to address inequality and improve conditions for vulnerable groups, including migrant workers.

Following the forklift incident, Lee ordered a comprehensive review of working conditions for migrants and minorities. The Ministry of Labor has launched investigations into abusive workplaces and is considering new regulations to protect foreign employees. As of July 30, 2025, no timetable for those possible regulations was given.

Lee's response comes amid deep political division. The snap presidential election followed the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Both major candidates promised national unity, but their approaches to migration and diversity differed, reflecting wider debates about South Korea's identity and future direction.

South Korea's treatment of migrant workers also affects its international reputation. As a major exporter and a host to global companies, the country faces scrutiny from international human rights organizations and trading partners. Fair and respectful treatment of workers is increasingly viewed as essential to economic competitiveness and diplomatic credibility.

The government response therefore reaches beyond the conduct of a single factory. It connects the investigation of abuse with working conditions, political promises and the treatment of people whose labor is increasingly needed by the economy.

What Advocates Want to Change

Experts caution that the name campaign is a beginning. Deeply rooted attitudes and structural inequalities require sustained effort, while language barriers, limited legal protections and social isolation continue to affect migrant workers.

Advocates are calling for reforms that address both daily treatment and the protections available when something goes wrong:

• Stronger enforcement of labor laws and policies against discrimination.
• Wider access to healthcare, education and social services for migrants.
• Greater representation of migrant voices in decisions about public policy.
• Public education campaigns to combat xenophobia and promote understanding between people from different cultural backgrounds.

These demands connect the factory floor with services and decision making. Enforcement concerns whether existing protections are applied. Access to healthcare and other services concerns whether people can obtain support. Representation concerns whether migrants have a voice in policies that affect their lives.

South Korea's increasingly diverse population makes those issues more pressing for employers, local authorities and communities. The campaign offers one concrete action they can take immediately: learn a worker's name and use it. Its advocates place that action within a broader effort to improve safety, protect rights and help newcomers participate in society.

Key Points

• The Jeollanamdo Contingent Workers Centre launched the name campaign in early 2024 in South Jeolla Province.
• Five companies in Haenam-gun are participating, hundreds of name tags have been distributed in Jangseong-gun and Muan-gun, and factories in Ulsan have joined.
• A video of a Sri Lankan worker being tied up and moved by forklift in Naju prompted outrage and a presidential order for investigation.
• A 2024 report found migrant workers were more than three times as likely as Korean workers to die in industrial accidents.
• South Jeolla's foreign population grew by 18.5 percent in 2023 to nearly 87,000, and the province is providing support including medical clinics for migrants without national health insurance coverage.
• President Lee Jae-myung ordered a review of working conditions, while the Ministry of Labor is investigating abusive workplaces and considering new regulations.
• Advocates want respectful address to be accompanied by stronger labor enforcement, better access to services and greater migrant participation in policy decisions.