▲ Seongdong Migrant Workers’ Center Director Whang Sung-kil


[The Global Digest]
The Global Digest is a non-profit media group, which focuses on human rights and democracy of issues around the globe.

Seongdong Migrant Workers’ Center:
Services for foreigners in Seoul

John S Thang
Staff writer
Mar. 02, 2011


If you are in Seoul and are having problems at your workplace, the Seongdong Migrant Workers’ Center is there for you. The center is a place for education, counseling, and medical services, free of cost.

Education services are Korean language and computer classes which are available from Tuesday to Friday for migrant families, their wives and children, and newcomers. On Sunday, classes are offered especially for migrant workers.

Counseling services for migrant workers are available daily. The counseling center can help when you experience non-payment of salary, abuse, and also when you are looking for a job.

Medical services are provided twice a month, including dental and general medical services.

At the moment, the center is helping a Burmese migrant worker, who is suffering from tongue cancer. He came to South Korea in 1998 and has no family.

Since he has no health insurance, his cancer treatment will be very expensive, said Sun Dong Su, the center counselor and as the patient’s guardian. So far, his friends had raised approximately 4 million KRW for him. The Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare can provide migrant worker medical assistance for a maximum 10 million KRW for him. But his case is unpredictable and the cost will be much higher than expected, Mr. Sun lamented. They will continue to raise funds for him.

Aung Naing Win, 36, a cancer patient from the South Korea based Burma Action is currently hospitalized in Seongdong, Seoul. He has also reportedly filed his application for refugee status at the immigration office, said Mr. Sun.

Seongdong Migrant Workers’ Center has six staff members and more than 100 volunteer workers. The center receives funds from Seoul City Hall and Seongdong district offices. The center began services on December 14, 2001, almost 10 years ago and is managed under World Neighbours, a Korean NGO.

The center officially offers services for E-9 migrant workers primarily, but unofficially it offers services for all other types of visa holders as a humanitarian effort. Visa types and the categorization of migrant workers are still crucial human rights issues in South Korea.

Whang Sung-kil, the center director, has served at Seongdong Migrant Workers’ Center since 2010, and before his Seongdong post, he served for seven years in the World Neighbors office.

To contact the center call: 02-2282-7974

The Global Digest editor Layne Hartsell edited to this story.