South Korean foreign ministry said Tuesday that the United States has placed it back in the Tier 1 country in two years for its efforts to tackle human trafficking.
The United States Department of State released the 2024 Trafficking in Human Persons Report on Monday. South Korea was listed in the Tier 1 status of 33 countries and territories, including the United States, Britain, Taiwan, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Poland, and Sweden.
“South Korea’s return to Tier 1 resulted from efforts that the government has made to faithfully and diligently address trafficking issues and protect victims in line with relevant domestic law last year,” the Seoul foreign ministry said in a press release.
The ministry explained that the government has enhanced the institutional foundation for combating human trafficking and protecting victims on a pan-governmental level and has actively collaborated with civil society. The ministry has been closely communicating these achievements to the US government.
“In light of the endeavors to lead the enhancement of universal values, such as human rights and democracy, we plan to reinforce our efforts through close inter-agency collaboration to respond to human trafficking,” the ministry added.
The US report measured progress in eliminating trafficking in 188 countries and territories. Its reporting period was from April 1 last year through March 31.
Previously, South Korea had maintained a Tier 1 from 2002 through 2021 but was downgraded to a Tier 2 in the 2022 report. At the time, the State Department explained that the South Korean government’s efforts to tackle human trafficking were not severe or consistent, even considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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