South Korea Steps Up Anti-Trafficking Campaign Ahead of July 30

South Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Korea Women’s Human Rights Promotion Agency are expanding public awareness and victim-support initiatives ahead of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30.

The campaign will use television, YouTube and social media to raise awareness of human trafficking and explain how suspected victims can access protection and support services. A promotional video featuring trafficking cases, including online scam operations in Cambodia, will be aired on television and Youtube.

Three short-form videos, web posters and card-news content will also be released through government social media channels. From July 20, the ministry will run a month-long web-poster sharing event, along with OX quizzes and picture quizzes. A total of 400 participants will be selected to receive prizes.

The ministry will distribute posters and leaflets containing victim-identification indicators and information on available support programs to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, immigration authorities, investigative agencies and local governments. The materials are intended to help frontline personnel identify suspected trafficking victims and connect them with support services.

Training for police officers, immigration officials, labor inspectors and other mandatory reporters is being strengthened through educational videos, training materials and legally required courses. In 2025, approximately 370,000 people completed the training, achieving a 93% completion rate. Since the Act on Prevention of Human Trafficking and Protection of Victims took effect in January 2023, the government has also operated counselling and support services through the Central Support Center for Victims of Human Trafficking and expanded cooperation among relevant agencies.

Recent measures allow authorities to confirm victim status without separate review when cases are referred by police or other agencies. Emergency relief funds may also be provided before formal confirmation, while emergency housing and faster support for foreign victims have been introduced. The number of supported victims rose from three in 2023 to 12 in 2024, 42 in 2025 and 30 as of June 2026, while emergency relief funding increased from KRW 220,000 in 2025 to KRW 770,000 as of June 2026.