Bizarre 'Duck-Walk' Hiring Followed by 'Human Trafficking' After Arriving in Korea

[Anchor]

We reported to you yesterday (the 7th) about the absurd situation where a local government forced Filipino applicants to do the duck-walk while selecting seasonal workers. However, the suffering of these seasonal workers continued even after they arrived in Korea. Some had their wages extorted and even had their passports confiscated. The government has recognized them as victims of human trafficking.

Reporter Jeong Banseok has this exclusive report.

[Reporter]

The selection process for seasonal workers by Paju, Gyeonggi Province, held in the Philippines last month.

Applicants were made to duck-walk under the pretext of measuring physical stamina, and a private labor agency representative surnamed Hong was also present at the scene.

Maria, who was raising three children alone in the Philippines, came to Korea four years ago through Hong.

She stated that while she was working in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province, 450,000 won was transferred to Hong every month without her knowledge, and when she worked in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, 750,000 won was transferred monthly.

[Maria (Pseudonym) / Filipino Seasonal Worker: I didn't even know where or how my bank account was created. It was set up so that the money would be automatically withdrawn.]

She says her passport was taken away and she was even made to sign a loan agreement as if she had borrowed money from Hong.

[Maria (Pseudonym) / Filipino Seasonal Worker: They said I couldn't come to Korea if I didn't sign the pledge. It was written that I had to hand over my passport once I entered Korea.]

We visited the Haenam factory where Maria worked.

[Haenam Employer: I didn't know about that. Should I call him a broker? She was the only one who came through a labor agency back then.]

Although the Haenam County Office, which is responsible for the seasonal worker program, conducted a special inspection two years ago, the fact of the damage was not uncovered.

This was because the workers could not answer honestly when asked if their passports or other items had been confiscated.

[Maria (Pseudonym) / Filipino Seasonal Worker: Someone was watching right next to us, so we had no choice but to check 'No' on everything.]

It was confirmed that the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family recognized nine seasonal workers, including Maria, as victims of human trafficking in November of last year.

Confiscating passports and siphoning off wages through loan agreements constitutes "labor exploitation-type" human trafficking, and eight out of the nine victims testified that they entered the country through Hong.

Hong claims that he received costs related to entry and fair compensation for his services.

[Hong (Surname) / Private Labor Agency Representative: Whether it's Haenam or Anseong, they all came out as not guilty (under the Criminal Act).]

Critics point out that local governments relying on private agencies when hiring seasonal workers also fuels such human trafficking.

[Ko Gi-bok / Director, Migration and Human Rights Center for All: (Local governments) lack international cooperation capacity, so when someone offers to help nearby, they just mistake it for genuine cooperation. The brokers' connections are never cut off.]

The Mokpo Branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor has forwarded Hong to the prosecution on charges of intermediate wage exploitation under the Labor Standards Act.

(Video Reported by Bae Moon-san | Video Edited by Lee Sang-min)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.