" Illegal workers in South Korea: Fake job ads lure Malaysians in search of better wages," 28 January 2018

Twenty-five-year-old Malaysian Rina (not her real name), had imagined a life similar to what she saw on Korean dramas when she responded to an advertisement about jobs in South Korea.

Posted on Facebook...the advertisement said applicants could make a lot of money quickly and eventually obtain legitimate work permits in South Korea if they worked hard.

Rina... knew it would be illegal, but it was a risk she felt worth taking.

Her decision cost her dearly: She lost four fingers on her right hand in a workplace accident in South Korea.

South Korea allows nationals from 16 South-east Asia and Central Asia countries to work in the country under the Employment Permit System (EPS). Malaysia is not on the list.

The EPS holders are allowed to work...for three years, after which their work permits can be extended for another year and 10 months upon their employers' approval.

 Activists say privately-run recruitment agencies are exploiting foreigners' desire to work...and the South Korean authorities' failure to provide protection to undocumented workers put them at a greater risk of workplace accidents and abuses.

The illegal migrant workers are usually hired on a day-to-day basis...They are made to work immediately without any training, which puts them at a higher risk of being injured.

Under the Labor Standards Act and the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act, foreign workers are eligible to receive compensation for work-related injuries from the government regardless of their immigration status. They can file applications without their employers' consent.

But foreign workers find it difficult to claim compensation due to language barriers, low awareness of the scheme and fears that they might be identified by immigration authorities and deported...