Social exclusion and transportation services: A case study of unskilled migrant workers in South Korea

•The social exclusion and transportation service issues of unskilled migrant workers are presented.•An interview-based survey was conducted for 300 migrant workers in Korea.•Current travel patterns and use of transportation services are analyzed.•The paper suggests region-specific transportation policies for unskilled migrant workers.

As a progressive and open society, South Korea recognizes the importance of providing public services that respond to the needs of disadvantaged groups, reflecting principles of social justice and community inclusion. Korea has a growing foreign population, including many low-income migrant workers. This study investigates the transportation demands and problems of these workers, and identifies potential ways to better meet their travel needs. It is based on a survey of 300 randomly-selected Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Indonesian, and Thai workers living in Ansan, Buchon and Uijungbu industrial districts on the outskirts of the Seoul metropolitan region. The survey investigated respondents' ability to communicate in Korean, their knowledge of transportation services and traffic regulations, and their travel demands. Various transportation problems that these workers often face, and potential policy reforms to address these problems were identified. This study indicates that many new foreign workers could benefit from information resources and education programs on Korean language, transportation services, traffic rules and pedestrian safety. The topic is a relatively unexplored research subject; most previous research on low-income migrant population transport demands and improvement strategies is from European and North America. Some limitations and future research agenda have also been presented.