Protesters urge construction companies to hire more Koreans over foreigners as they march around Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap



8,000 construction workers gather in central Seoul

By Jung Min-ho

About 8,000 construction workers gathered in central Seoul, Wednesday, to urge companies to hire more Korean nationals, claiming the illegal employment of foreign workers was causing too many problems.

Protesters also demanded the government strengthen monitoring of construction companies over whether they hire more foreigners than permitted.

The protest began Tuesday at Gwanghwamun Square, close to the headquarters of major construction companies and Cheong Wa Dae, and continued the next day.

"Hire Koreans," protesters shouted as they marched.

Protesters claimed their salaries and working conditions have improved little over the past 10 years as companies have exploited foreign workers, mostly from China and Southeast Asia, who are willing to work for lower wages.

Protesters say construction companies hire more than 300,000 foreigners here, claiming the number is far above the legal quota of 67,000.

This is the first major labor protest since the election of President Moon Jae-in, May 9. It is also a unique protest that demands more jobs for Koreans, different from most other demonstrations that ask for job stability or equal treatment between regular and irregular workers.

Protesters marched near the presidential office and the main offices of construction companies, including SK, Hyundai and Daewoo. Some pedestrians complained about the traffic chaos the workers caused.

Police deployed 2,700 officers in case of an emergency; but no major incidents occurred during the protest.

Protesters said they had no other option over the issue after failing to resolve it through negotiations with construction companies.

The results of a vote on a strike held during the rally will be announced next week.

Underlying tensions between Korean construction workers and those from overseas have developed over the past decade as many locals feel foreigners are increasingly taking their jobs.

According to the Construction and Economy Research Institute of Korea, the number of non-Koreans working in the construction industry increased to 290,000 last year, which accounts for more than 35 percent of all workers.

As Korean and foreigners compete for a limited number of jobs, companies have not felt the need to offer higher salaries or better working conditions.

Korean workers initially asked the National Assembly to make a law to require construction firms to pay "reasonable" wages to all; now they are also urging the firms to give more jobs to Koreans and disclose their employment information on foreigners.

Experts say construction workers are among the first groups to face challenges from foreign workers here, while most regular white-collar workers still enjoy protection.

It is still unclear how much the government and the National Assembly accept their demands. Politicians are concerned that requiring companies to pay a certain level of wages to all workers may kill jobs.

In the long run, they also worry about how to keep the economy afloat in a country with an alarmingly low birthrate while minimizing the issues that come along with an increasing number of foreign workers.

According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of foreigners living in the country last year was 2,049,441, which accounted for 4 percent of the population.