[Photo] Migrant workers call for abolition of employee permit system

Representatives from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the Migrants’ Trade Union, civic groups in support migrant workers and refugee rights and Jogye Order of Buddhism rallied in front of the Central Government Complex in Seoul on Oct. 4 to call for the abolition of the current employee permit system for migrant workers, which restricts their ability to change workplaces. Under the current system, only extreme cases such as sexual or physical abuse qualify as acceptable reasons for migrant workers to change workplaces. The demonstrators called for a system that allows migrant workers to change places of employment according to their free will. (Park Jong-shik, staff photographer)