Uzbek labor migrants in Korea violate employment agreements, leading to 2 billion UZS in guarantor penalties

According to the Migration Agency, there has been a recent rise in cases of Uzbek citizens who temporarily go to South Korea for work but leave their jobs without valid reasons.

This situation significantly impacts the quota of workers allocated to Uzbekistan and harms the reputation of Uzbek workers abroad.

As a preventive measure, every citizen traveling to South Korea for work must sign a tripartite agreement before departure.

The agreement includes the following clause: “If I leave my job without a valid reason and engage in illegal activities, I agree that my guarantor (a close relative) will pay a fine of $2,000 (current rate) for each month I remain in South Korea illegally.”

For instance, a guarantor of an Uzbek worker, M.A., from the Kashkadarya region, who violated the terms of the agreement, was ordered by the court to pay 70.39 million UZS, which was collected by the Bureau of Compulsory Enforcement.

In 2024, fines totaling 2.035 billion UZS have been collected from the guarantors of nearly 80 Uzbek citizens who left their jobs in South Korea without valid reasons.