But the nation is more dependent than ever before on an import to keep its factories and farms humming: foreign labor.
This shift is part of the fallout from a demographic crisis that has left South Korea with a shrinking and aging population.
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government has responded by more than doubling the quota for low-skilled workers from less-developed nations including Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal, the Philippines and Bangladesh.
Hundreds of thousands of them now toil in South Korea, typically in small factories, or on remote farms or fishing boats — jobs that locals consider too dirty, dangerous or low-paying.
With little say in choosing or changing employers, many foreign workers endure predatory bosses, inhumane housing, discrimination and other abuses.
Persons:
—, Yoon Suk
Organizations:
Samsung, Hyundai, LG
Locations:
South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal, Philippines, Bangladesh