Lee says migrant worker remarks aimed at prioritizing Korean hiring amid high unemployment

What happened: President Lee Jae Myung defended his remarks on migrant workers, saying he meant to stress prioritizing Korean hiring to address serious unemployment. Migrant rights groups condemned the comments as hateful. Key numbers: Government approved a record 93,503 foreign seasonal worker positions for the first half of this year. Why it matters: Advocacy groups said foreign workers are essential to agriculture and rural economies facing labor shortages and depopulation. Lee also demanded a correction and apology from the Hankyoreh over its headline.

President Lee Jae Myung defended his remarks on migrant workers, saying he meant to stress prioritizing Korean hiring to address serious unemployment. Migrant rights groups condemned the comments as hateful.

Advocacy groups said foreign workers are essential to agriculture and rural economies facing labor shortages and depopulation. Lee also demanded a correction and apology from the Hankyoreh over its headline.