A Comparative Study of the Rights and Liberties of Thai legal and Illegal Workers in South Korea

Abstract

This objective of this study was to compare the rights and liberties of Thai legal and illegal workers, also called “Phi Noi” in South Korea. The purposes of the study were 1) to compare the rights and liberties of legal and illegal workers in South Korea 2) to dissuade those who are inclined to pursue illegal work in South Korea, and finally 3) to provide further information pertaining to the differences between the living conditions and lifestyles of these two groups. Related data were collected through questionnaires and interviews from 30 workers (15 legal and 15 illegal workers) respectively, who were employed in the Republic of Korea between August and December of 2019. The results indicated that the legal workers received full benefits including accident and health insurance, holiday-leave, year-end bonuses, as well as accommodation and annual health check-ups; while the illegal workers could not get any accident and health insurance or annual health check-ups. Moreover, the illegal workers faced harsh working conditions and experienced unsettling situations as they would have been immediately deported to Thailand, if they had been  caught as an illegal immigrant.