South Korea may halt visa issuance for citizens of Uzbekistan over migration law breaches – Ambassador

Speaking at a meeting between entrepreneurs, government officials and ambassadors on 17 January, Abdusalomov said the proportion of Uzbek nationals with irregular status in South Korea has reached 9 percent. If the figure rises to 10 percent, he said, South Korea’s Ministry of Justice could halt visa issuance altogether.

“There are many cases where our workers move illegally to places other than those they were officially sent to,” the ambassador said. “At present, 9 percent of our citizens are staying illegally. If this reaches 10 percent, the Korean Ministry of Justice will completely stop issuing visas.”

Abdusalomov stressed that the dispatch of Uzbek workers to South Korea is carried out exclusively through Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency, noting that private employment agencies are not authorized to send workers to the country.

He also said the problem extends beyond labor migration to the education sector. According to the ambassador, some Uzbek nationals who travel to South Korea for language courses or university studies later abandon their studies and take up illegal employment.

“This affects Uzbekistan’s image and undermines efforts to ensure orderly migration,” Abdusalomov said. “It also shapes a negative perception of our migrants among Korean companies.” He cited cases in which agricultural firms recruited Uzbek workers only to see them leave their assigned jobs or abscond, causing financial losses and discouraging employers from hiring Uzbek workers in the future.

Despite the challenges, Abdusalomov noted that around 100,000 Uzbek citizens currently reside in South Korea and said the embassy remains ready to provide assistance to them.