Foreign Seasonal Workers' Stay Period Extended from 5 to 8 Months... Easing Labor Shortage in Rural Farming and Fishing Areas

Improvement Measures for the Foreign Seasonal Worker System
Retroactive Application to Seasonal Workers Already Staying

The government has decided to extend the maximum stay period for foreign seasonal workers to 8 months in order to address the shortage of agricultural and fishery labor during peak farming seasons.

On the 30th, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Justice announced the "Improvement Plan for the Foreign Seasonal Worker System" containing these details.

Since 2015, the government has been operating the "Foreign Seasonal Worker System" to resolve seasonal labor shortages in agriculture and fisheries during planting and harvesting periods. While the system has promoted the legal employment of foreigners in rural areas and contributed to alleviating seasonal labor shortages in the agricultural and fishery sectors, there have been opinions from the field and local governments that the 5-month stay period is somewhat short.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Justice, following a proposal from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, decided to allow seasonal workers to extend their stay period by up to 3 months once per year, permitting employment for a maximum of 8 months.

The Ministry of Justice plans to revise the relevant laws as quickly as possible and apply the changes retroactively to seasonal workers who have already entered and are currently staying in the country through supplementary provisions.

Along with this, the government will strengthen measures to prevent worker dropout and support adaptation in line with the expansion of the workforce. The Ministry of Justice will establish an information system for efficient management of the seasonal worker system through information sharing and utilization. Additionally, policy support will be promoted to improve the skill levels of foreign seasonal workers in the agriculture and fishery sectors. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to expand public seasonal worker projects to ensure smooth labor supply in rural areas and support improvements in living conditions so that seasonal workers can stay legally and stably.