[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daeseop] The Korea Federation of SMEs announced on the 31st that it will begin accepting applications for the third batch of new foreign workers for 2020.
The quota for new foreign workers allocated this time is 6,026. The assigned countries include 16 nations such as Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, and Cambodia.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have submitted domestic job postings (with a 14-day period elapsed) in advance through the Ministry of Employment and Labor's Worknet website are eligible to apply. The application period is from the 1st to the 15th of next month.
SMEs wishing to employ foreign workers can apply via fax, visit, or mail to the Korea Federation of SMEs (regional headquarters). Detailed information can be found on the Korea Federation of SMEs website.
According to the Korea Federation of SMEs, the government has uniformly extended the stay period by 50 days for foreign workers whose stay expires between April 14 and June 30, 2020, to minimize workforce shortages in industrial sites caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).
Additionally, for newly arriving foreign workers, plans are underway to assign them to manufacturing sites after completing online employment training, a 14-day self-quarantine, and quarantine system procedures.
Lee Taehee, head of the Smart Job Division at the Korea Federation of SMEs, said, "Due to COVID-19, uncertainty in workforce supply and demand for SMEs has increased, causing difficulties such as workforce shortages. The Korea Federation of SMEs will actively respond to ensure that there are no problems in workforce supply for small manufacturing companies through communication with SME sites and the government."
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