KUALA LUMPUR - South Korea has launched a new government-backed campaign encouraging employers to address migrant workers by their given names instead of using dismissive labels or overly casual titles.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Monday that it introduced the Immigrant Worker Labor Respect Campaign at an industrial site in Ulsan, as told by The Korea Times.

The event drew about 100 foreign workers and representatives from labour rights foundations.

A key feature of the campaign was the distribution of safety helmets engraved with each worker’s individual name.

Officials said the move directly challenges a long-standing workplace culture in which foreign employees are often addressed using generic titles, numbers or informal honorifics.

Critics have argued that such practices undermine workers’ professional dignity.

The ministry said the campaign is based on the belief that linguistic respect is closely linked to physical safety.

By encouraging the use of proper names and formal honorifics, authorities hope to build workplaces where migrant employees are treated as equal colleagues.

Labour officials said better communication in respectful environments can help prevent accidents, especially in high-risk industrial settings.

The campaign comes as South Korea faces an acute demographic crisis and a shrinking domestic workforce.

The government has significantly expanded quotas for foreign workers as labour shortages intensify.

At the same time, the growing number of E-9 visa holders has brought increased scrutiny over workplace safety gaps and discriminatory treatment.

“It is meaningful to hold this campaign on Labor Day, which has regained its original name after 63 years.

“No worker should face discrimination or safety gaps because of nationality,” the ministry said in a statement.

The programme forms part of a broader cooperation agreement signed in mid-April between the ministry and four major foundations.

While the first events are being held in Ulsan, officials plan to expand the initiative to Gwangju in May.

A nationwide rollout is expected to follow.

Officials said the campaign reflects broader efforts to modernise industrial culture as South Korea becomes an increasingly multicultural society.