Minister Lee Jeong-sik: "Over 10,000 Foreign Workers Enter Monthly... Quota Also Expanded"

Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jeong-sik is reporting on work at the Environment and Labor Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 3rd. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee Jeong-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, recently announced plans to admit more than 10,000 foreign workers per month to address the deepening labor shortages in industries such as shipbuilding and agriculture. He also stated that institutional support will be strengthened, including expanding quotas and simplifying entry procedures, to normalize the entry of foreign workers delayed by COVID-19.

Minister Lee announced these measures as part of the "Labor Shortage Resolution Support Plan" at the 4th Emergency Economic Ministers' Meeting held on the morning of the 8th, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho.

In his opening remarks, Minister Lee emphasized, "The recent labor shortage is a result of a combination of temporary factors, such as delayed entry of foreign workers due to COVID-19 and a surge in labor demand following the recovery of face-to-face service industries, along with structural factors accumulated over time, including poor working conditions."

He added, "First, to urgently resolve difficulties in the field, we will promptly admit more than 10,000 foreign workers (E-9 visa holders) per month to restore the number of foreign workers residing in the country to pre-COVID levels within this year. The quota for next year will be finalized early in October, and foreign workers will be able to enter immediately from January next year to ensure smooth work on site."

The Ministry of Employment and Labor plans to establish a "Rapid Employment Support Task Force (TF)" at 17 employment centers located in areas with concentrated labor shortages in industries such as shipbuilding and the root industry. For service industries like restaurants, dedicated personnel will be assigned at 48 employment centers to closely support job seeker discovery and job matching.

In particular, for industries with chronic labor shortages such as shipbuilding and the root industry, customized specialized support will be provided to facilitate the entry of new workers. The foreign worker entry process will be shortened from 84 days to 39 days to facilitate smooth entry, and the new quota for foreign workers in manufacturing will be increased by 6,000.

Minister Lee stated, "We will expand the shipbuilding industry’s specialized Tomorrow Filling Deduction program, which supports asset formation and long-term employment, and strengthen employment package programs that provide training and employment incentives for the root industry."

The Ministry emphasized that the deepening labor shortages in shipbuilding and the root industry are due to poor working conditions such as low wages and high risks, as well as a dual labor market structure with discriminatory treatment between regular and non-regular workers. Therefore, labor market reforms will be steadily pursued.

Minister Lee said, "Efforts to reform the labor market, including improving the dual structure such as the subcontracting system between primary and secondary contractors, revising wage systems, and expanding workers’ choice of working hours, will continue to be actively promoted."