Seoul City Holds Forum on Introducing Foreign Domestic (Childcare) Workers

Sharing Overseas Cases and Exploring Localization Strategies

A forum for discussion will be held where experts from academia, research institutes, businesses, and central government agencies come together to brainstorm on the introduction of ‘foreign domestic (childcare) workers,’ a pilot project planned as one of the extraordinary solutions to overcome the unprecedented ultra-low birthrate.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the morning of the 19th that it will hold the 'Expert Forum on the Introduction of Foreign Domestic (Childcare) Workers' at the Seoul City Hall Grand Conference Room.

The forum was organized to share advanced overseas cases and seek ways to ‘localize’ the pilot project being prepared by the government to ensure its successful establishment, by anticipating potential issues in advance and adapting them to our circumstances. In particular, the purpose is to discuss and review from multiple angles the anticipated problems in various areas such as service demand, costs and wages, and workforce management.

The forum will proceed in the order of an opening address by Mayor Oh Se-hoon, a keynote speech and designated discussion by Professor Kim Hyun-chul of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, followed by a comprehensive discussion.

The keynote speaker, Professor Kim Hyun-chul of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, will present the policy effects of introducing foreign domestic (childcare) workers and implications for domestic introduction based on research conducted locally in Hong Kong where foreign domestic workers were introduced. He will also highlight that between 1978 and 2006, when foreign domestic workers were introduced in Hong Kong, the labor market participation rate of women with young children (aged 0-5) increased by 10-14%, emphasizing that the foreign domestic (childcare) worker policy is an effective system that supports caregivers not to give up work and careers due to childcare.

Following the keynote speech, the designated discussion will be chaired by Professor Seol Dong-hoon (Professor of Sociology at Jeonbuk National University), with participation from various experts including ▲Lee Eun-hee (Director of Planning and Coordination, Seoul Foundation of Women and Family) ▲Lee Bong-jae (Vice President, Home Story Life Co., Ltd.) ▲Kim Areum (Research Fellow/Ph.D. in Law, Korea Institute of Child Care and Education) ▲Ahn Hyun-chan (Head of Parenting Happiness City Research Group, Seoul Institute) ▲Lee Sang-im (Foreign Workforce Officer, Ministry of Employment and Labor), who will discuss service demand, costs and wages, workforce management, and introduction plans related to the introduction of foreign domestic (childcare) workers.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, “Today’s forum is a meaningful discussion venue to comprehensively review the pilot project for foreign domestic (childcare) workers so that it can be established as an effective low birthrate countermeasure suited to the realities of our society,” adding, “The pilot project for introducing foreign domestic (childcare) workers will not only have significance as a low birthrate measure but will also serve as a starting signal to actively discuss the introduction of foreign caregiving and elderly care service workers, attracting excellent foreign talents, and the upcoming immigrant society and utilization of foreign workforce.”