Mandatory Testing for Foreign Workers Sparks 'Human Rights Violation' Controversy, Seoul City Urges "Active Participation in Testing"

6 Foreign Workers Confirmed Positive as of 18th... Seoul City Emphasizes "Measures to Ensure Individual Health and Collective Safety"
UK Ambassador to Korea and Others Protest Against This Measure

On the 19th, as the spread of COVID-19 continues, citizens and foreigners are waiting to be tested at a temporary screening clinic set up in the plaza of Guro Station in Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Local governments, including Seoul City, have announced that they will continue to enforce mandatory COVID-19 diagnostic testing for foreign workers. The UK government and others protested against this measure by local governments but were not accepted.

On the 19th, Song Eun-cheol, the quarantine officer of the Seoul Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said in an online briefing, "Issuing a testing order to an unspecified large number of people is not discrimination but a measure to ensure individual health and collective safety," and added, "We ask for active participation in this measure."

Earlier, Simon Smith, the British Ambassador to Korea, expressed his position that Seoul City's recent mandatory testing measure for foreign workers was unfair. In response, Officer Song said, "We will carefully listen to various opinions and consider them during the process."

Seoul City issued an administrative order mandating diagnostic testing for foreign workers from the 17th to the 31st. All foreign workers, whether registered or unregistered, must undergo testing, and employers are also forced to comply with this measure.

After the administrative order, 4,139 foreign workers were tested on the 17th, and 6,434 on the 18th, with six confirmed positive cases among them.

Concerns were also raised in the political sphere. Lee Sang-min, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on Facebook, "This is an outrageous act of unfair racial discrimination against foreigners," and added, "It is a human rights violation that could bring international disgrace. The administrative order must be withdrawn immediately."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.