A migrant worker uses a grinder at a factory in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, in this Oct. 25, 2021, file photo. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the country's two major umbrella labor unions with more than 1 million members, is moving to embrace undocumented foreigners here in an attempt to broaden its coalition. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the country's two major umbrella labor unions with more than 1 million members, is moving to embrace undocumented foreigners here in an attempt to broaden its coalition, labor officials said.

During an event hosted by the KCTU at its headquarters in Seoul on July 25, senior officials discussed ways to strengthen the rights of "all migrant workers." They said there should be a fundamental reform of the government system of handling the migrant laborers who work here without valid visas. Abolishing the deportation policy targeting such people and giving them the right to stay were among the ideas suggested and advocated at the event.

When asked later whether the ideas represent the KCTU's official stance, a spokesman told The Korea Times that they do.

"KCTU members basically share the thought that no one should be discriminated against on any ground such as nationality and race," the spokesman said.

Their position is in stark contrast to that of the government, which has reinforced efforts to clamp down on foreigners working here illegally during President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration.

As Korea seeks to attract foreign workers to address its declining workforce, it faces potential side effects, such as an increase in undocumented laborers. This issue may soon become a source of political and social contention.

The spokesman's comment comes after Udaya Rai, head of a migrant workers' union under the KCTU, said at the KCTU event that the government should abandon its policy of cracking down on undocumented migrant workers.

"The policy of cracking down on and deporting undocumented immigrants begets countless of human rights violations and stirs up anxiety and fear," he said. "Exploitation and violence are justified just because they are undocumented. There should be a policy to give them the right to stay in order to end this vicious circle."

Song Min-young, an executive director at the organizing and planning division of the Korean Metal Workers' Union under the KCTU, also echoed the sentiment, stating that there is "an obvious necessity" to fight the government's policy focused chiefly on finding and deporting undocumented migrant workers.

According to data from the Ministry of Justice, more than 421,000 foreign residents, or 16.9 percent of the total, were confirmed in 2023 to have been staying in Korea unlawfully.

This is all part of the KCTU's broader efforts to expand partnerships with all foreign workers, who have become an essential component of many industrial sectors in Korea.

The KCTU spokesman said one of its long-term goals is to replace the Employment Permit System (EPS) — through which the government recruits workers from 17 partner countries — with a more worker-friendly alternative. The current system is considered to be significantly more favorable to employers.

This June 2017 file photo shows protesters calling on companies to "hire Koreans" over migrant workers during a rally in central Seoul. Korea Times photo by Jung Min-ho

Whether the KCTU's fresh partnership with migrant workers would turn into a stable coalition, however, is an open question. Some officials admitted that Korean members have been divided over how to ― and even whether to ― cooperate with migrant workers, particularly the undocumented ones. In recent years, there have been protests urging companies to hire Korean laborers instead of migrant workers in construction and some other industries where the interests of the two groups clash.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Employment and Labor refused to comment on the KCTU's move to embrace undocumented migrant workers, saying the Ministry of Justice is responsible for such matters. But on the issue regarding the EPS, he said, despite its flaws, the system has greatly benefited both Korean employers and migrant workers.

"The system may not be perfect. But over the 20 years, it has received favorable evaluations from international organizations such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Labor Organization (ILO)," he said.

Meanwhile, the justice ministry vowed to maintain its crackdown on undocumented foreign residents in its continued effort to maintain order.

"The immigration policy is about inviting foreign workers for necessary fields and preventing illegal stays effectively, so we'll maintain order by keeping our stance to reduce undocumented stays," its representative said in a statement sent to The Korea Times.

"However, as to the possibility of giving the right to stay to foreigners who are staying here illegally, the ministry agrees that there is a necessity to review it amid a decline in the working-age population and worker shortages. Yet this issue requires a careful approach, considering factors such as job competition with Korean workers, fairness with foreigners who are staying lawfully and public sentiment in regard to such legislation."