100 Foreign Domestic Workers Arrive... Commuting to Dual-Income Families in Seoul

'Pilot Project' Public Hearing... Implementation Possible Within This Year
Scale of 100 Foreign Workers · Over 6 Months
Targeting Dual-Income Couples in Their 20s to 40s in Seoul Area

The government will hold a public hearing on the 31st to gather opinions from various sectors regarding the 'Pilot Project for Foreign Domestic Workers.' The pilot project plan will be finalized after deliberation by the Foreign Workforce Policy Committee, taking into account the opinions gathered at this hearing. Following the selection of service providers, recruitment of foreign workers, and pre- and post-arrival training, the project is planned to be implemented as early as within this year.

According to the pilot project plan, the target area is all districts of Seoul. The number of foreign domestic workers will be approximately 100, with the exact number to be determined later. The duration will be six months or longer. Users will mainly be dual-income couples in their 20s to 40s who work and raise children, single-parent families, and pregnant women, with plans to distribute services to avoid concentration by income or region. The government is considering a system where government-certified service providers, under the 'Act on Improvement of Employment of Domestic Workers,' employ foreign domestic workers (residence status E-9) (applying minimum wage) and provide household and childcare services by commuting to homes that have contracts with the service providers.

Sending countries will be prioritized based on those operating certification systems related to domestic services. Candidates will be introduced after verification of relevant experience, knowledge, age, language ability, and criminal records. Practical training on Korean language and culture, labor laws, domestic and childcare skills, hygiene, and safety will be conducted before and after arrival.

Kim Eun-cheol, Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, stated, "This pilot project plan is intended to carefully explore social acceptance, actual demand, operational issues, and solutions, considering the public interest in introducing foreign domestic workers. We plan to fully listen to field opinions and make improvements before implementing the pilot project."