25-year-old Vietnamese graduate dies after hiding during South Korea immigration raid

Vu Tu Anh holds her degree certificate from Keimyung University in Daegu, South Korea. Photo courtesy of Anh's family

According to media reports this week, Vu Tu Anh, 25, reportedly hid behind the unit as immigration officers conducted a crackdown on undocumented residents on Oct. 28.

She had worked at the factory for about two weeks, the South China Morning Post reported.

The Korea Herald reported that Anh was staying in South Korea on a D-10 job-seeking visa after graduating from Keimyung University in Daegu. The visa allows limited job-search activities but generally prohibits manual labor, including factory work. Foreign graduates seeking full-time employment are required to secure professional positions that qualify for an E-7 skilled worker visa.

To cover her living expenses, Anh took a factory job amid a period of intensified immigration raids by the Ministry of Justice ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit in late October. The ministry has said the raids targeted foreigners who were "infringing on the job opportunities of Koreans" and "threatening public safety."

The Ministry of Justice has denied responsibility for Anh’s death, stating that she fell after the raid had concluded.

Following Anh’s death, labor activists filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the case.

"She may have feared deportation or being unable to attend graduate school while preparing to continue her studies in Korea," said Kim Hee Jeong, a labor activist based in Daegu, as cited by The Korea Herald. "Having previously experienced an immigration crackdown once, she may have felt greater fear than others."

Data from the Korean Educational Development Institute show that in 2023, only 10% of foreign bachelor’s degree holders and 36.3% of doctoral graduates from South Korean universities who were working in the country obtained an E-7 visa. A March survey by the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business found that a shortage of eligible positions and the visa’s narrow job classifications were the main reasons for the low success rate.

As a result, many foreign graduates who wish to remain in South Korea turn to factory or manual labor, where jobs are more readily available.

Another federation survey in September showed that 90% of local companies that hired foreign workers did so because they struggled to attract South Korean employees.

South Korea’s foreign student population exceeded 305,000 in August, reaching the government’s 2027 target, up 16% increase from last year and 47% since mid-2023. Vietnamese students led the influx with 107,807, followed by 86,179 from China, with Uzbekistan, Mongolia, and Nepal rounding out the top five sources, according to data from the Korea Immigration Service, cited by the Korea JoongAng Daily.

"The number of foreign students is substantial, and their employment inevitably affects domestic jobs, so building public consensus will not be easy," said Seol Dong Hoon, a sociology professor at Jeonbuk National University. "But the system can be reviewed, and more flexible work rights in foundational industries could be considered to prevent such tragedies."

Udaya Rai, chairman of the Migrants’ Trade Union in Korea, said Anh’s death highlighted "a flawed visa policy that blocks people from earning a living even when they face immediate hardship."

"If her death is treated as an individual mistake," he said, "similar incidents could happen again," The Korea Herald reported.

Anh’s father, Vu Van Sung, echoed this view at a memorial in Seoul on Sunday.

"Tu Anh has died, but her death will not be in vain," he told The Korea Herald. "I want the government to investigate the case thoroughly, and I hope foreign students and immigrants will not face disadvantages related to their visas."