Seoul City Requests Employment Visa Issuance for Transportation Workers
Ministry of Labor: "Currently Difficult to Accept... Will Review Later"
The Seoul Metropolitan Government requested the Ministry of Employment and Labor to issue non-professional employment (E-9) visas for foreigners to be hired as village bus drivers, but the Ministry of Employment and Labor has stated that it is currently difficult to accept this request.
On the 1st, Yonhap News reported that the Ministry of Employment and Labor recently finalized this position and plans to respond to the Office for Government Policy Coordination this week. Earlier, at the end of October, Seoul requested the Office for Government Policy Coordination to include 'transportation industry' in the scope of E-9 visa issuance as part of regulatory reform. Currently, this visa is issued to foreigners employed in non-professional sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, and livestock farming.
An official from the Ministry of Employment and Labor explained to Yonhap News, "According to the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Control Act, professional occupations requiring qualifications or experience are excluded from E-9 visa issuance," adding, "Bus drivers must obtain a large vehicle license and drive for about a year before receiving a bus driving qualification certificate, so issuing an E-9 visa would require amending the law."
He continued, "Especially, E-9 visas are for pre-hired workers, so the licenses obtained locally must be recognized in Korea," but "since road systems and traffic regulations differ from country to country, it is difficult to operate in that manner." He also said, "Bus driving involves public service and is directly related to public safety, requiring communication and situational response skills, which also poses challenges," adding, "It is difficult to accept under the current system and should be considered a long-term task."
Since the Ministry of Employment and Labor is responsible for policies related to E-9 visa operation, the Office for Government Policy Coordination first sought the ministry’s opinion. With the ministry expressing this stance, it has become practically difficult for Seoul to hire foreign village bus drivers in the near future.
Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo has also expressed a negative stance on Seoul’s proposal. In recent media interviews, Minister Kim said, "Village bus drivers are not simple laborers," and "Village buses require two licenses: a large vehicle driver's license and a bus driving qualification certificate, and a considerable level of language communication ability is necessary." The National Federation of Automobile Workers' Unions also clearly opposed Seoul’s proposal, stating, "The real reason for the difficulty in securing village bus drivers is low wages and heavy workloads," and emphasized, "It is necessary to improve the poor working conditions and make treatment such as salaries more realistic."
A Seoul city official said after receiving the ministry’s response, "The city proposed institutional improvements to the government in response to requests from the village bus industry, which is struggling with driver operations," adding, "Visa matters are national affairs, so we must follow the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s opinion. We will continue to cooperate with the village bus industry and make every effort to improve drivers’ treatment and ensure smooth driver supply."
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