This June 2021 file photo shows a Moroccan man with his wrists and ankles bound behind his back at a detention facility for foreign nationals in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Korea is set to introduce a set of new rules on March 6 to better protect inmates at government detention facilities for foreign nationals. Courtesy of Duroo Association for Public Interest Law

Moroccan asylum-seeker files damage suit after 'torturous' treatment

By Jung Min-ho

Korea is set to introduce a set of new rules on March 6 to better protect asylum-seekers and others at government detention facilities for foreign nationals, a year after the country drew international criticism for the inhumane treatment of a detained Moroccan who sought asylum.

In a statement sent to The Korea Times, the Ministry of Justice said it will improve the legal and administrative systems at such facilities nationwide to prevent human rights violations, such as the one criticized by many activists last year as torture-like treatment.

What tools may be used to control defiant behavior will be codified more specifically under the revised enforcement regulations, the ministry added.

"We have conducted education programs regarding the possible use of such tools for those working at the facilities to prevent human rights abuses," it said. "Regular education and safety inspections will also be codified."

Most notably, each detention facility for foreigners will be required to have a "human rights official" to monitor whether any rights violations occur. The official will also be responsible for initial investigations following complaints.

The statement comes as the Moroccan man is seeking compensation from the ministry. At a press conference on Dec. 16, he said he filed a suit at a Seoul court, demanding 35 million won ($27,000) in damage compensation after the "torturous" treatment he received at the facility in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

Human rights activists, who supported him in taking the action, urged the judges to confirm that the government violated laws and international human rights by using illegal tools and means to control his behavior.

The incident was revealed through surveillance footage showing the man with his wrists and ankles bound behind his back while being held in a tiny cell. His head was also covered with protective headgear using tape and cable ties. His T-shirt suggests that he was a "protected foreigner," a term used largely to refer to the people in the middle of deportation proceedings.

The footage was widely circulated on social media, including in his home country, prompting the Moroccan Embassy in Seoul to ask Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for an explanation.

The Ministry of Justice later said the restraining measures were "unavoidable" after the man showed violent behavior, including self-harm. But it promised to reform the system to improve the rights of foreigners held in such facilities.

In a response to The Korea Times' inquiries about the lawsuit, the ministry said it was aware of it but did not receive an official notification from the court yet.