[No. 25-6 HR#3]
March 21 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, established by the United Nations to commemorate the Sharpeville Massacre that took place in South Africa in 1960. This tragic event, in which 69 peaceful protesters lost their lives while demonstrating against apartheid, serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle against racial discrimination. It has been 59 years since the UN designated this day, yet racial discrimination remains a growing crisis worldwide.
Across the globe, racism is intensifying. In the United States, since the election of President Donald Trump, anti-immigrant policies, racial discrimination, and even discussions of “ethnic cleansing” have heightened global concerns. In South Korea, following the martial law crisis, far-right groups have incited anti-Chinese sentiment, leading to hate speech and even physical violence against ethnic Koreans from China and migrants. Meanwhile, the political establishment has fueled this by spreading misinformation, such as the false claim that “half of the pro-impeachment protesters were Chinese.” Far-right nationalist organizations have gone as far as forming vigilante groups to detain, assault, and threaten undocumented migrants, traveling across the country to carry out these illegal actions. These groups even promote their activities online, spreading fake news and hate propaganda throughout Korean society.
Rather than addressing the issue, the South Korean government has neglected and, at times, even encouraged racial discrimination through its policies. By restricting migrant workers from changing workplaces to only certain regions and industries, the government has further deepened their dependency on employers. Forced labor conditions persist, with wage theft, exploitative dormitories, and hazardous working environments, yet the government makes no effort to improve these conditions. Instead, it continues to expand the number of migrant workers living in a “state of rightlessness.” Migrant seasonal workers in agriculture and fisheries, shipbuilding workers, and foreign seafarers face extreme control and surveillance, exploitation by brokers and private recruiters, and human rights violations, including passport confiscation, excessive recruitment fees, debt bondage, and wage theft. The growing phenomenon of “migrationalized risk” is evident, with dangerous jobs disproportionately assigned to migrant workers. One tragic example is the 2024 explosion at the Aricell battery plant, which killed 18 migrant workers. Industrial deaths like this continue to occur at an alarming rate.
Migrant women, regardless of their visa status, are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence. Marriage migrant women are subjected to unbalanced power dynamics, leaving them vulnerable to domestic violence and coercive control by their Korean spouses and their families. Yet, the government has failed to investigate or even acknowledge the realities of gender-based violence against migrant women. Meanwhile, refugees in South Korea face one of the lowest asylum approval rates in the world—only 1%. The prolonged screening process and lack of basic survival resources have driven many into despair. Rather than taking responsibility, the government has fueled racist narratives by portraying refugees as fraudulent asylum seekers, criminals, or terrorists, as part of its effort to push for restrictive amendments to the Refugee Act.
Despite demands to grant legal status to undocumented migrant children for their right to education, the temporary policy is set to expire at the end of March. Apart from this initiative, there are no pathways for the legalization of undocumented migrants, and the government’s only approach has been to intensify violent crackdowns and deportations. This has emboldened far-right groups, leading them to illegally detain and arrest migrants on their own. Even after the Constitutional Court ruled indefinite detention of migrants unconstitutional, the Immigration Control Act was recently amended to allow detention for up to 20 months and to deny fair review of detention extensions. Migrant workers, women, ethnic Koreans from abroad, refugees, migrant-background youth, international students, and undocumented migrants all contribute to South Korean society. Yet, because they lack South Korean nationality, they face countless forms of racial discrimination, exclusion, and violence. Despite repeated recommendations from UN human rights bodies, including the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), South Korea has failed to enact even the most basic anti-discrimination law. Since 2009, the South Korean government has ignored 12 international recommendations to establish comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation. This is a shameful reality.
We have long fought and stood in solidarity against racial discrimination. The global situation continues to deteriorate, and change within Korean society remains painfully slow. However, we refuse to surrender to helplessness. Today, we gather again to affirm our collective demand for justice. We stand together to reclaim our rights as citizens, to envision concrete solutions, and to fight for a future of freedom, equality, and democracy. We demand the abolition of all forms of racial discrimination. The South Korean government must respect the dignity of migrants and ensure equal treatment in all aspects of labor, health, and social security. End the violence of crackdowns, deportations, and detention, and guarantee migrants’ right to stay, survive, and enjoy fundamental rights. The government must strictly punish far-right hate groups for inciting discrimination and the political establishment must immediately cease its complicity with them. We all deserve to live in safety and joy in our daily lives. On the occasion of the 2025 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we once again demand justice.
Guarantee migrant workers’ right to freely change workplaces!
End the concentration of hazardous work on migrants and ensure industrial safety!
Eliminate gender-based violence and guarantee residency rights for survivors!
Expand refugee recognition and ensure the right to stay and live!
Abolish discrimination against ethnic Koreans and migrants, and stop anti-Chinese hate!
Ensure basic rights for migrant children and youth, and establish permanent legalization measures!
Stop violent crackdowns and deportations against undocumented migrants, and guarantee their right to stay!
Establish measures to eradicate labor exploitation by brokers and recruitment agencies!
Abolish racial discrimination and enact an anti-discrimination law!
Signed by participating organizations of the 2025 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Commemoration Rally