With a rapidly shrinking population, South Korea is welcoming foreign workers, but many face exploitation and danger.
For decades, South Korea prided itself on being a mono-ethnic country. Until the late 1980s, the nation tightly controlled immigration, largely keeping foreigners out. But facing the world’s lowest fertility rate and a dramatic population decline, South Korea is opening up. The country is now letting in record-high numbers of foreign workers to fill labour shortages and fuel economic growth. Yet migrants often face exploitation and deadly working conditions. 101 East asks if South Korea is ready to embrace its growing diversity.