[Notice] Addressing Forced Labour in Global Supply Chains: Lessons from other countries and Korea’s Path to Reform

Date: July 3 (Thursday), 2025, 10:00-17:00 (KST)

Venue: Conference Room 1,National Assembly Members’ Office Building, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Zoom Webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LkNNE9fCThyPNl_ARjq5ow

Hosted by: Lawmaker Kim Tae-sun, Labor Forum at National Assembly, National Human Rights Commission of Korea, Korean Bar Association

Organizer: Advocates for Public Interest Law, Korean Transnational Corporations Watch 

Background:

Globally, an estimated 27.9 million people are currently subjected to forced labour, with 17.7 million exploited within the private sector. This grave human rights violation is widespread across industries such as garment manufacturing, fishing, agriculture, and mining, and it permeates global markets through complex supply chains. Illicit profits derived from forced labour are estimated at USD 136 billion (KRW 180 trillion) annually.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) Forced Labour Convention (No. 29) defines forced labour as “all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily.” Korea ratified this Convention in April 2021, thereby assuming binding international obligations to prevent and eliminate forced labour. Among these obligations, the establishment of legal frameworks to prohibit the import and export of goods produced through forced labour is recognized as a critical measure.

Countries such as the United States, Mexico, the European Union (EU), and Canada have enacted legislation prohibiting the importation of goods tainted by forced labour, setting global precedents in addressing this issue through trade policy. In Korea, public concern over supply chain-related forced labour has also intensified. Notably:

• In April 2025, Korean sea salt faced an import ban from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) due to allegations of forced labour.
  

• In April 2024, investigative reports exposed that seafood products linked to forced labour were distributed through Korea's major retail networks.

In light of these developments, this international conference aims to:

• Provide an in-depth assessment of the prevalence of forced labour within global supply chains;

• Share legal and policy responses adopted in various jurisdictions to combat forced labour;

• Facilitate policy dialogue on the urgent need for Korea to adopt legislation that bans the import of forced labour products and mandates corporate human rights due diligence, in line with international standards.

Programme

Opening Remarks:

• National Assembly Member Kim Tae-sun and distinguished guests

Keynote Address:
"Effective Measures to Address Forced Labour in Global Supply Chains"

• Tomoya Obokata, UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery

Session 1: The Reality of Forced Labour in Global Supply Chains

Presentations:

• Forced Labour of Uyghurs in Xinjiang (Sare Sulaiman, Policy Analyst, Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project, URAP)

• Forced Labour Issue in Shimano’s Bicycle Supply Chain (Anju Kozono, Human Rights Now, HRN)

• Case Study: Forced Labour in Salt Farms and Other Forced Labour-High-Risk Imported Goods in Korea (JongChul Kim, Senior Researcher, Advocates for Public Interest Law, APIL)

Discussion:

• Human Rights Impact Assessment of Food Companies (Researcher, National Human Rights Commission of Korea)

• Address Forced Labour in the Seafood Sector (Official, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries)

Lunch Break

Session 2: Import Ban Mechanisms Addressing Forced Labour

Presentations:

• United States: Enforcement under the U.S. Tariff Act (Martina Vandenverg, the President, Human Trafficking Legal Center)

• European Union: Legislative Developments of Forced Labour Import Ban(Chloé Bailey, Senior Legal Adviser, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, ECCHR)

• Canada: Legislative and Policy Tools of Forced Labour Import Ban (Sare Sulaiman, Policy Analyst, Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project, URAP)

• Japan: Import Ban Mechanism in Japan (Akiko Sato, Attorney at Law, Japanese Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) Member)

Session 3: Building Korea’s Legal Framework to Combat Forced Labour

Presentations:

• Free Trade Agreements and Forced Labour Import Bans (Ryu Mikyung, Head of International Solidarity, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, KCTU)

• Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence and Import Ban Laws (Kim Dong Hyun, Attorney at Law,KTNC Watch)

• Suggestions for a Forced Labour Import Ban Bill in South Korea (Shin-Young  Chung, Attorney at Law, Advocates for Public Interest Law, APIL)

Discussion:

• Amendments to the Foreign Trade Act (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Official)

• National Basic Human Rights Policy Act (National Human Rights Commission of Korea)