Goheung-gun, Resolving Labor Shortage in Farms with Foreign Seasonal Workers

- Application until 6.8. Allocation to farms in September-October

[Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Jeong-woo] Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do announced that it will accept applications from farms (corporations) participating in the foreign seasonal worker program in the second half of the year, following the first half, considering the increasingly difficult labor shortage in rural areas.

Since it takes 4 to 5 months from application to introduction of foreign seasonal workers, Goheung-gun plans to prepare proactive measures to secure rural labor to minimize labor shortages during the garlic and onion planting season in September and October.

The application period is from mid-May until June 8, before the Ministry of Justice’s introduction application. Participating farms can apply for the number of workers according to the cultivation area, and the allocation method for the second half of the year will proceed through the introduction of seasonal workers from countries with MOU agreements, invitation of relatives (within 4 degrees) of marriage immigrants, and employment of foreigners residing in Korea.

Based on the survey results of participating farms, the county will submit the application for the introduction of foreign seasonal workers for the second half of the year to the Ministry of Justice in advance. Once the participating farms and the number of foreigners assigned are confirmed by the Ministry of Justice, the procedure for introducing foreign seasonal workers will proceed and be allocated to farms in September and October.

A county official said, “Assigned farms must strictly comply with mandatory employer obligations such as providing comfortable accommodations, observing working hours, and prohibiting human rights violations, and cooperate with administrative procedures such as preventing seasonal worker desertion.”

Meanwhile, Goheung-gun assigned 44 foreign seasonal workers to farms in the first half of 2022 to supplement labor, and plans to actively promote the expansion of foreign seasonal workers as a proactive response to resolving labor shortages on farms in the future.

Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Jeong-woo sevenshim@asiae.co.kr