Filipino helpers face exploitation, sexual harassment in South Korea's pilot scheme
The programme, backed by former president Yoon Suk-yeol and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, is under fire for what critics say was a rushed and poorly monitored roll-out that left many workers vulnerable.
A forum titled 'Precarious Stay, Excluded Labour Rights: Voices of Filipino Caregivers' took place at the Seoul Metropolitan Council on Thursday, where civic group representatives and researchers presented findings from a field investigation.
According to the coalition supporting migrant care workers' rights, 21 Filipino workers were interviewed anonymously in April and May, offering a rare glimpse into the challenges they face.
Lee Mi-ae, a research professor at Jeju National University, said many workers were burdened with duties far beyond their original contracts.
'One worker has to care not only for the employer's child, but also for the entire family, including in-laws and even the family dog,' she said.
'Some are pressured to give English conversation lessons to parents during the baby's nap time, leaving virtually no time for rest.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
South Korea's Lee Jae-myung caps first month in office with pledge to improve China, Russia ties
Seoul will move 'swiftly' to improve ties with Beijing and Moscow to 'protect peace and people's lives', according to South Korea's president. Marking his first month in office on Thursday, Lee Jae-myung said that one of his government's priorities was to ensure the 'safety and peaceful' lives of the South Korean people, stressing that 'peace is the minimum prerequisite for national stability and happiness'. Lee said he believed in a ' virtuous cycle of peace ', pledging to maintain a 'firm' alliance with the United States, as well as to improve ties with China and Russia. This was reflected in Pyongyang's favourable response to his government's decision to suspend Seoul's loudspeaker propaganda efforts near the demilitarised zone between the two Koreas, he said. China has also reportedly invited the South Korean president to attend a military parade in Beijing in September to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. According to the South Korean Presidential Office, Lee is reviewing the possibility of taking part in the event, and Seoul and Beijing are communicating about the issue. In 2015, then-South Korean president Park Geun-hye attended the parade, a decision that caused friction between Seoul and Washington.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Can Rubio's Asia tour ease anxiety over US tariffs or is it just ‘short-term gimmickry'?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads to Asia next week on a high-profile diplomatic tour, but his visit is not expected to ease growing anxiety in Southeast Asia , which is bracing itself for the return of steep US tariffs that threaten to derail growth and test ties with Washington. Rubio is expected to fly to Kuala Lumpur for meetings on July 10-11 with foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and other Asia-Pacific countries, according to media reports. He reportedly cancelled plans to head to Japan and South Korea to attend to a visit to Washington by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss an end to the war in Gaza. The Asia trip will mark the highest-level visit to the region by a US official since President Donald Trump returned to office in January – but expectations remain low for any immediate economic reprieve. US President Donald Trump has said he is 'not thinking about the pause' in tariffs. Photo: TNS Trump first announced his sweeping 'Liberation Day' tariffs on April 2, imposing up to 50 per cent duties on imports from certain countries. A 90-day pause was granted to allow for negotiations, but is set to expire on July 9.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Symbolic Shandong visit: a sign of Hong Kong's ‘rock-solid' national security and pride
The arrival of the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong, which represents 'rock-solid' national security defence and high-quality development, would allow residents to witness first-hand the advancement of the mainland's modernised military vessels, boosting national pride, Hong Kong's leader has said. Speaking aboard the Shandong at a welcoming ceremony for the 70,000-tonne vessel and its accompanying strike group entering Hong Kong waters on Thursday morning, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the fleet's visit was 'particularly inspiring' at the 'historic moment' marking the 28th anniversary of the city's handover and the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-imposed national security law. 'This visit represents national defence and security safeguarding high-quality development, demonstrating that national security is rock-solid,' he said. Lee highlighted that the Shandong, commissioned in 2019, is the mainland's first independently designed, built, and equipped aircraft carrier, marking the Chinese Navy's official entry into a new era at the forefront of global naval power. He emphasised that the visit would provide Hong Kong residents with first-hand national defence education, fostering a strong sense of national identity. 'This visit by the Shandong fleet will allow Hong Kong residents to personally experience the magnificence and advanced nature of the nation's modern naval vessels and gain a deeper understanding of the achievements of national defence modernisation,' he said.
