Sungram Migrant Workers House

South Korea

South Korea

The Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK) was established in 1953. It is the only Presbyterian Church in Korea which ordains women as elders and ministers. Actively participating in social and political programs, the church proclaims and upholds the causes of social justice, human rights, and freedom. PROK and Global Ministries formally became partners in 1983, and Global Ministries supports many of its programs.

As of June 2006, roughly 360,000 migrant workers were projected to be working in South Korea, accounting for 1.5 percent of South Korea’s entire workforce. Migrant workers come from countries including Mongolia, Sri Lanka, China, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Peru.  In 2003, a legal act meant to protect the human rights of the migrant workforce was put into place. However, many area migrant workers still face serious human rights violations and have very few options for protection and the obtainment of reparations for these abuses. Some such issues include the withholding of wages, physical and sexual harassment, and the denial of the right to organize in unions.

The Sungnam Migrant Worker’s House was established to help South Korean migrant workers deal with these problems, as well as industrial accidents, violence, and fraud. It offers them various kinds of services including labor and medical counseling, shelter, educational activities, and Korean language classes. Organization for international marriage and family issues, computer education, and faith and worship counseling are also available.

The Sungnam Migrant Worker’s House is in need of funding to support the important work it does to provide social rights and opportunities for South Korea’s migrant workers.

• Gifts of $100.00 will provide counseling on international marriage and family issues affecting migrants working in South Korea.
• Gifts of $500.00 will provide legal fees to help one migrant at Sungnam Migrant Worker’s House to seek a legal remedy to the withholding of their wages.
• Gifts of $1,500.00 will provide medical and labor counseling to migrants for a one month period.
• Gifts of $4,000.00 will provide Computer Training for one class of migrants to help the migrants develop more and better paying career options.