Migrant workers living in Korea are in a very unique situation. The relevant laws don’t recognize migrant workers as workers. Under these circumstances, with the name of illegal residents, migrant workers have worked in factories. Traditionally, Korea has been a closed society, but these days it came to experience dramatic changes in the industrial structure. And the combination of the above two characteristics makes migrant workers entities that are still needed, but shou...more

Migrant workers living in Korea are in a very unique situation. The relevant laws don’t recognize migrant workers as workers. Under these circumstances, with the name of illegal residents, migrant workers have worked in factories. Traditionally, Korea has been a closed society, but these days it came to experience dramatic changes in the industrial structure. And the combination of the above two characteristics makes migrant workers entities that are still needed, but shouldn’t be admitted as workers. The world ‘machine’ may be the best expression to describe the situation of migrant workers. Now, the migrant workers who have kept silence like invisible entities for 15 years start talking about their stories. They criticize preposterous prejudices that Korean hold in their mind. They call themselves workers, saying that they have worked hard for a long time. And they now say that what they want is solidarity, not sympathy.less