Foreign workers arrive at Incheon International Airport in this file photo. The government announced measures for better living conditions for migrant workers at company-provided dormitories. Korea Times file



By Kim Hyun-bin



Employers will have to provide separate living quarters for male and female migrant workers when offering dormitory rooms, and one room cannot accommodate more than 15 workers, according to new regulations announced by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Tuesday.



The ministry said the government passed the revision of the enforcement ordinance on foreign workers during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, to make it mandatory for companies to provide basic amenities when operating dormitories for foreign laborers, a move to better protect their human rights.



The new rules will only be applied to businesses that operate dormitories for migrant workers and are scheduled to take effect July 16.



Under the revisions, opposite sexes cannot live in the same room. People working in different shifts will no longer be able to share a room, while the room needs to have a minimum 2.5 square meters per person and one room can accommodate up to 15 people.



The dorms will be required to have basic facilities including a toilet, sink, shower, ventilation, lighting, air conditioning and heating as well as fire prevention systems.



For privacy protection, bedrooms and bathrooms need to have locks in place as well as a storage area for personal supplies.



Companies will be required to provide foreign workers with information on the dorms that meet the government standards when hiring them and signing employment contracts. Migrant workers on E-9 and H-2 visas will be subject to this.



"We are trying to secure minimum living conditions for foreign workers, and will allow them to switch to another company if the business fails to abide by the mandatory dormitory standards or provide necessary information about housing conditions," a ministry official said.

