Korea Eases Work Visa Rules for Foreign Graduates After Fatal Raid Incident

South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor announced Thursday it has revised work visa regulations for foreign university graduates following the death of a Vietnamese student who fell while hiding from immigration officers during a workplace raid.

On October 28, immigration enforcement officers from the Ministry of Justice arrived at an auto parts manufacturer in Daegu's Seoseo Industrial Complex. Tuan, a Vietnamese national staying in Korea on a job-seeking visa (D-10), hid behind an air conditioning outdoor unit on the third floor warehouse to avoid detection.

Tuan, who graduated from Keimyung University's Tourism Management department in February this year, had been working at the manufacturing plant since October to earn tuition for graduate school. However, working at the plant on a job-seeking visa could be illegal. Fearing deportation if caught by immigration officials, Tuan remained hidden for approximately three hours.

After the raid, Tuan was found bleeding. He is presumed to have died after falling from the third floor where he had been hiding.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Thursday it has worked with the Ministry of Justice to revise visa regulations so that foreign students who complete work-study programs at Korean universities can obtain employment regardless of prior work experience or their major field of study.

Under current rules, foreign students with associate degrees from Korean institutions must have at least one year of work experience to obtain a specialized activity visa (E-7). The government has eliminated this one-year experience requirement through the reform. The work-study program is a vocational training system where companies first hire young workers for on-site training while schools help students obtain qualifications. The program also operates for foreign nationals.

Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon visited Daelim University, which offers work-study training programs, to meet with foreign students and hear about their difficulties living in Korea.

"International students and foreign workers should not face discrimination simply because they have different nationalities or languages," Kim said. "We will expand vocational development support for both foreign nationals who will work here in the future, like international students, and those who are already working."