South Korea ranked among world’s worst for workers’ rights

South Korea has been ranked as one of the worst countries for implementing workers’ rights by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

In a recent report on 139 countries by the ITUC, based on information submitted by local labor unions, South Korea was defined as a country that has "no guarantee" of rights for workers.

Key indicators for the report’s rating included: fundamental civil liberties; the right to establish unions; and trade union activities. Read more on the importance of trade unions in maintaining workers’ rights.

Working conditions could be contributing factors to the proportion of Koreans migrating abroad. Changzoo Song highlights this trend alongside the country’s aging population which, combined, threaten to diminish South Korea’s economic stature.

Read more on the report here.

Related articles:
The consequences of trade union power erosion, by John T. Addison
Engaging diaspora in an era of transnationalism, by Changzoo Song