US keeps S. Korea in Tier 1 group for human trafficking elimination efforts for 3rd straight year

The U.S. State Department has kept South Korea in the highest tier of countries in terms of anti-human trafficking efforts for the third consecutive year, while maintaining North Korea in the lowest category over state-sponsored forced labor practices, a department report showed Thursday. The department released the 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, where South Korea was listed in the Tier 1 group of 33 countries and territories, including the United States, Britain, Taiwan, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Israel and Denmark. In its tier placement, the report cited various efforts by Seoul, including increasing investigations and convictions, updating guidelines to provide potential victims with access to emergency support among other efforts. "The government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period. Therefore, the ROK remained on Tier 1," the report said, referring to South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. However, the report also noted that weak sentencing undermined accountability for traffickers in South Korea, while con