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1. Nepalese Woman Hospitalised for 7 years
A Nepalese woman was hospitalized in a mental institution for seven years after a misunderstanding by police, hospital staff and city administrators.

2. Industrial Accident Insurance Covers All Companies
Since July 1st, 2000, all companies employing less than 5 people are covered by Industrial Accident Insurance. Since migrant workers mostly work for companies of this size, they are the main beneficiaries. From November 24, the Minimum Wage Act is also applied.

3. Report on Trainees' Human Rights Oppression Released
JCMK published "The Report on Oppressed Human Rights of The Migrant Trainee Workers" in April. It covers the history of migrant worker trainees in Korea, physical violations committed against them, unpaid wages, compulsory savings and confiscation of Ids.

4. Law Suite Over Retirement Allowance by Minerva
Philippino worker, Minerva, who worked in Seodo industry in Taegu, sued her employer for failing to pay 1.8 million won in retirement allowance, in Taegu District Court. The trial was postponed and is still awaiting judgment. No industrial trainee in Korea has ever received the retirement allowance.

5. CEDMW Launched
On November 3, The Common Committee for Elimination of Discrimination Against Migrant Workers and Promoting Their Basic Rights (CEDMW) was launched to guarentee fundamental rights of migrant workers with the abolition of the trainee system and implementation of the work permit system. Composed of 67 civic and labor organizations, including Citizens Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ), People's Solidarity for Participation and Democracy (PSPD), KCTU and JCMK, CEDMW continues to fight for the human rights of migrant workers.

6. MDP and MOL Try to Enact EPS
The problem of violation of human rights of migrant workers was addressed widely when the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) and Ministry of Labor (MOL) tried to enact the Employment Permit System (EPS). Despite recognizing migrant workers as workers, and not trainees, the bill has many problems. Moreover, the Korean Federation of Small Business (KFSB) opposed the bill strongly, so the bill was not submitted to the National Assembly.

7. Campaign for Enacting a Righteous MW Policy
On September 28 a campaign to abolish the foreign industrial trainee system, seen as a modern form of slavery, was launched and followed up with demonstrations and rallies in Ansan, Bucheon and at Myongdong Cathedral during October and November. A photo exhibition covering 10 years of migrant history in Korea was opened in December.

8. Industrial Trainees Get Compulsory Savings
From July all industrial trainees are allowed to make withdrawals from their compulsory savings accounts.

9. National Human Rights Commission Examined
The National Human Rights Law (NHRL) was submitted to the National Assembly in September. After argument and struggle by NGOs, the government changed the status of the National Human Rights Commission being controlled by the Ministry of Justice, to that of independent body. However, the bill has not yet been passed in the National Assembly.

10. Burmese Workers Offered Defections
In April, 20 Burmese workers collectively offered the Korean government to be recognized as political refugees. All of them, members of the National League for Democracy, were not accepted as political refugees by the Korean government, but they were not deported by the government, either. The first foreigner ever recognized by the Korean government was a Cameron in May.