Launched in September Last Year... Pilot Project Ends This Month
Service Fees Expected to Rise Significantly as Operation Shifts to Private Sector
As the pilot project for Filipino domestic helpers managed by Seoul City is extended, the service fees are expected to increase significantly starting next month.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 8th, the pilot project for Filipino domestic helpers (assistants), which has been temporarily implemented in Seoul since last September, will end at the end of this month. The government, after deliberation on whether to continue the service, announced on the 6th that "households currently using the foreign domestic helper pilot project can continue to use the care service after March if they wish."
On August 6 last year, Filipino workers participating in the pilot project for foreign domestic workers are moving by bus after arriving through Incheon International Airport. Photo by Yonhap News
However, the service fees are expected to rise sharply because the project’s operation will shift from the government to the private sector. Currently, 98 Filipino helpers work in 185 households, receiving an hourly wage of 13,940 KRW, which includes the minimum wage plus the four major social insurances and weekly holiday allowances. Users can choose services for 4, 6, or 8 hours per day. If working the maximum 52 hours per week, the monthly salary is about 2.8 million KRW.
In fact, the service providers Home Story Saenghwal (Daerijubu) and Hubris (Dolbom Plus) sent notices to users on the 6th stating, "From March 1, the usage price will increase from the current 13,940 KRW per hour to 16,900 KRW per hour." According to the notice, the monthly service cost for 8 hours per day will rise from 2,425,560 KRW to 2,940,600 KRW, an increase of 515,040 KRW. After some media reports on this, the companies said, "We will confirm and notify again," and the Ministry of Employment and Labor also issued a statement saying, "Nothing has been finalized yet."
However, if the fee increase is substantial, the original purpose of the project will be undermined. Initially, the Ministry of Labor and Seoul City promoted the foreign domestic helper pilot project because the number of domestic workers was decreasing and costs were high, making foreign helpers a relatively less costly option. After the pilot project ends this month, there were plans to expand the program nationwide beyond Seoul, but due to low demand in other local governments, the continuation of the project is uncertain.
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