“Four in ten workers say workplaces are unsafe for minorities, including people with disabilities”, 11 May 2025

Nearly half of South Korean workers believe that society is not safe for socially marginalised groups, according to new survey results released by Workplace Gapjil 119 on 11 May.

The survey, conducted with 1,000 employees, found that 48.9% of respondents felt Korean society is unsafe for vulnerable or marginalised people. The perception of safety varied significantly by gender: while 66.9% of women said society was unsafe for such groups, only 34.4% of men agreed. Among women in irregular employment, the figure rose to 70.1%.

Four out of ten respondents also expressed concern that their own workplaces are unsafe for various minority groups. Specifically, 54.0% said their workplaces were not safe for people with disabilities. When asked about migrant workers and LGBTQ+ individuals, 41.7% and 41.8% respectively said their workplaces were unsafe for these groups. In the case of North Korean defectors, 38.4% of respondents felt the same.

Respondents cited issues such as environments where hate or violence can easily arise based on origin or background, as well as office layouts that are structurally unsuitable for workers with disabilities.