According to South Korean outlet Pressian, Uzbek workers sign special agreements and guarantee statements with Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency before leaving for South Korea. Critics argue that the documents are one-sided and can leave workers financially tied to their employers.
The most controversial provision reportedly requires workers to pay $2,000 for every month remaining until their return to Uzbekistan if they change jobs without written approval from their employer and the Migration Agency’s representative office in South Korea. There is reportedly no upper limit on the penalty, meaning the amount can continue to accumulate until the worker returns home.
The penalty may also apply when workers leave their jobs involuntarily, including cases involving dismissal or a lack of work, according to the report.
Death at Hyundai shipyard raises concerns
The issue came under renewed scrutiny after a 26-year-old Uzbek worker was killed at a Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan on July 18, 2026. He was reportedly trapped between lifting equipment and an air hose.
Colleagues said the worker had suffered injuries several times and wanted to transfer to another shipyard because of dangerous working conditions and low wages, but was unable to do so because of the potential penalties.
On July 20, Nurmatjon Kamilov, head of the Migration Agency’s representative office in South Korea, met with workers who raised concerns over the system.
“If he had been able to change shipyards, he would not have died,” workers reportedly said.
A representative of a Hyundai Heavy Industries subcontractor said more than 100 Uzbek workers had protested. According to the representative, the agency also demands penalties from workers dismissed by subcontractors, effectively preventing them from leaving their jobs.
