DISPUTE OVER RELIEF FUNDS FOR FOREIGNERS

[Anchor Lead]

Local government bodies have given out disaster relief funds to Koreans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. But the emergency benefit hasn't been granted to foreigners living in Korea. KBS reported on this issue recently and a civic group petitioned the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, which has ruled that not giving relief money to foreign residents constitute discrimination.

[Pkg]

​Park Yeon-hui, from China has been living in Korea for ten years. She has a job here and pays taxes. Yet she couldn't receive basic disaster income from Gyeonggi-do Province where she lives. This was solely because she is a foreigner with Chinese nationality.

[Soundbite] PARK YEON-HUI(KOREAN-CHINESE RESIDENT) : "We are all suffering. It's discriminatory to exclude foreign residents from receiving disaster relief money."

In most cases, foreigners are excluded from receiving the COVID-19-related disaster relief funds given out by local governments. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea ruled it is clear discrimination to exclude foreign residents from receiving Seoul and Gyeonggi-do's disaster relief funds. The exclusion is in violation of equal rights stated in Article 11 of the Constitution and of international human rights accords that prohibit discrimination. The Commission explained that foreigners are already defined as residents under the Local Autonomy Act and thus should be guaranteed their right to receive administrative benefits. The human rights body added disasters affect everyone, regardless of nationality. Immigrant advocate groups welcomed the belated yet appropriate decision.

[Soundbite] KIM SU-YEONG(DIRECTOR, SEOUL ONDREAM EDUCATION CENTER) : "To prevent foreign residents from feeling discriminated, we need policies that highlight their rights and motivate them to fulfill their responsibilities."

Today, there are more than two million foreigners living in Korea.