Hapcheon-gun Conducts Employer Training for Foreign Seasonal Worker Recruitment Program

Employer Compliance Pre-Training

Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam Province, conducted training on the 29th at the Agricultural Technology Center's main conference room for about 100 farm owners and invitees (marriage immigrants) to attract foreign seasonal workers in the first half of 2024.

The training was organized to inform participants about the changes in the Ministry of Justice's foreign seasonal worker program basic plan, including the total allocation quota, and the mandatory compliance requirements for employers. It was conducted in two sessions.

Hapcheon County is conducting employer training for the 2024 first half foreign seasonal worker recruitment program.

The session explained the workers' entry schedules, understanding of multiculturalism, protection of workers' human rights, compliance with the Labor Standards Act and Immigration Control Act, and guided essential procedures such as enrollment in industrial accident insurance.

The foreign seasonal worker program is a system that allows legal employment of foreigners for 5 months (up to 8 months) in agricultural fields that require intensive short-term labor during seasonal periods such as sowing and harvesting.

This year, Hapcheon-gun was allocated 288 people from 82 farms through the invitation of marriage immigrants' family members (within the fourth degree of kinship) from their home countries in the first half, marking a 118% increase compared to the previous year. They are expected to enter the country sequentially starting as early as next month.

Additionally, as part of the foreign seasonal worker labor benefit support project, expenses such as drug test fees, foreigner registration fees, and part of the industrial accident insurance premium (up to 200,000 KRW) are supported after entry. From this year, if employers rehire workers who have diligently worked during the contract period, partial airfare for re-entry (50% support, up to 200,000 KRW) will also be provided.

Kim Bae-seong, director of the Agricultural Technology Center, stated, “The foreign seasonal worker program will help alleviate labor shortages during busy farming seasons caused by population decline and aging. We plan to actively work to expand the supply of foreign seasonal workers in the second half of the year to solve the chronic labor shortage problem.”