Prospects for Improvement of the 'Foreigner Worker Employment Permit System'... "Resolving Labor Shortages"

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Recommends Improvement Measures to the Ministry of Labor

In order to alleviate the severe labor shortage in workplaces caused by the decline in the domestic working-age population, the foreign worker employment permit system is expected to be improved.

Kim Tae-gyu, Vice Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. [Photo by Yonhap News]

On the morning of the 19th, Kim Taegyu, Vice Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, stated at a briefing at the Government Complex Sejong, “We have prepared improvement measures such as easing regulations on workplace changes, reemployment, and re-entry special employment permits to protect the rights of foreign workers and utilize manpower, and recommended system improvements to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.”

The foreign worker employment permit system allows domestic workplaces that cannot find local workers to obtain employment permits from the government to hire non-professional foreign workers. Foreign workers are granted an employment activity period of 4 years and 10 months after their initial entry (3 years plus 1 year and 10 months for reemployment), and with a re-entry special employment permit, they can re-enter once and work again within 4 years and 10 months.

Following the introduction of new quotas for the shipbuilding sector employment permit system and policies to expand foreign manpower last year, the number of foreign workers has surged from 50,000?70,000 annually to 120,000, increasing their role and proportion. However, due to strict regulations and management in operating the employment permit system, complaints related to workplace changes, reemployment (extension), and re-entry special permits are on the rise.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission has established standards to broadly apply reasons for extending the application period for workplace or work location change permits to include social circumstances beyond occupational injury, illness, pregnancy, and childbirth. Additionally, if a workplace change is confirmed due to reasons not attributable to the foreign worker, reemployment permit opportunities will be granted even if the contract maintenance period (one month) is not met. Furthermore, if foreign workers suffer disadvantages because they cannot receive re-entry special employment permits due to employment restriction measures, relief measures such as workplace changes will be prepared, and employers will be guided to notify workers to apply for re-entry special employment permits before the expiration of the employment activity period.

Vice Chairman Kim said, “To address the domestic labor shortage, a whole-of-government participation and cooperation for utilizing foreign manpower is necessary,” and added, “We will continue to identify and improve unreasonable systems step by step.”