[Industrial Complex Embracing Foreigners] ① Increasingly Important Foreign Workers, Still High 'Communication Barriers'

130,000 E-9 Visa Holders to Enter Korea This Year
Rising Proportion of Foreign Workers in Industrial Complexes Nationwide
Ongoing Challenges: Communication Barriers and Illegal Residents

Editor's NoteAs the population structure and industrial conditions rapidly change, the importance of foreign workers is growing increasingly significant, yet various issues surrounding foreign workers are emerging in industrial sites. There is particular concern on-site about conflicts and accidents that may arise due to foreign workers' limited language skills and lack of cultural understanding. Nevertheless, foreign workers have firmly established themselves as a group we must embrace and coexist with. Asia Economy highlights the scenes and voices from workplaces where foreign workers belong and presents cases of finding breakthroughs despite harsh conditions in a total of three installments.

①The Increasing Importance of Foreign Workers, Yet Persistent 'Communication Barriers'

②The Complex Cultural Center Becoming a 'Hot Place' After Work... Daebulsandan Industrial Complex is Changing

③"Coexistence is Destiny... It Must Be Approached Long-Term"

Han Mo (48), who has been running a secondary battery manufacturing company in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province for 13 years, has often felt a heavy heart watching foreign workers. This is because those with limited Korean language skills ignored the safety rules posted at the workplace and started work, nearly causing a major accident. Although Han conducts safety training, many workers do not understand the content, often getting distracted or taking short naps. Han said, "All instructions on machine operation, safety rules, and safety training at the workplace are conducted in Korean, which is not easy for foreigners unfamiliar with the language to understand," adding, "There have been many cases where workers misunderstood supervisors' orders and handled tasks incorrectly or failed to follow safety rules, nearly leading to serious accidents."

Kang Mo (52), who runs a pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, has recently been troubled by conflicts between middle-aged domestic workers and foreign workers in their 20s and 30s at his workplace. These conflicts arise because they do not understand each other's cultures and generational backgrounds, clashing over work methods and attitudes. Ultimately, foreign workers who fail to adapt to the corporate culture request to resign after only a few months, even though their contracts still have a long time remaining, causing Kang much distress. Kang said, "The factory cannot operate without foreigners, so we provide dormitories and meals for them, but it hurts when they ask to leave after just a few months," adding, "If we do not allow resignations, some deliberately engage in work slowdowns or feign illness collectively to disrupt operations."

According to the government and industry as of the 31st, there are 2.5 million foreigners residing in Korea, with 920,000 employed. The dependence on foreign workers in domestic industries is expected to continue rising. The Ministry of Employment and Labor increased the number of foreign workers holding non-professional employment visas (E-9), which had typically been maintained around 50,000, to 69,000 in 2022, and further expanded it to 165,000 last year. This year, about 130,000 foreign workers are expected to enter Korea through the E-9 visa.

Panwol-Sihwa Industrial Complex panorama.

Consequently, new and unprecedented pains such as conflicts between domestic and foreign workers, safety accidents, and productivity declines are emerging throughout workplaces. Kim Hyung-woo, Deputy Director of the Foreign Workforce Support Office at the Korea Federation of SMEs, explained, "Most foreign workers belong to the so-called MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), so cultural and generational differences cause conflicts, preventing unity and causing disputes," adding, "Since foreign workers often lack Korean language skills, it is also difficult to provide education about Korean culture."

Serious Accidents Due to Lack of Korean... Dangerous Workplaces

Employers in manufacturing and shipbuilding industries, where foreign workers exceed half of the workforce, cite communication problems as the biggest difficulty they face on-site. Foreign workers' insufficient Korean language skills lead to misunderstandings of employers' instructions, causing work disruptions and conflicts between labor and management or among workers. Especially in industries like manufacturing, which involve many hazardous and risky factors, failure to understand safety rules and training content can lead to serious accidents.

According to data received by Rep. Kim Wi-sang of the People Power Party from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, as of June last year, foreign workers accounted for 47 of the total 399 industrial accident deaths, or 11.8%. Considering that 1.01 million foreign workers were employed domestically during the same period, representing about 2.4% of all workers, this rate is approximately five times higher. Deputy Director Kim said, "Among domestic employers, there are complaints like 'Did they really pass the Korean language test to enter?'" adding, "To integrate into Korean culture and build teamwork at the workplace, basic language acquisition is essential, but since this does not happen, foreign workers often resign after only a month or two without completing their contracts or fail to unite easily as part of the company."

Currently, foreign workers must achieve a certain score on the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) to obtain an E-9 visa. However, the test only verifies minimal everyday Korean language skills and does not cover practical terms used in workplaces, making it difficult to assess actual language proficiency.

Participation rates in Korean language classes provided by the government or companies after entry are also low. For training conducted during working hours, workers find it difficult to attend due to employers' opposition, and for training outside working hours, there is no legally mandated required training time, so foreign workers do not dedicate sufficient time.

According to a Ministry of Justice survey, only 8.0% of foreigners residing in Korea last year learned Korean through government social integration programs such as multicultural family support centers or immigrant support centers, while 25.3% responded that they had never learned Korean. Lee Gyu-yong, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Labor Institute, said, "TOPIK verifies minimal language ability, and even among those who pass, there is inevitably a wide variation in proficiency," adding, "Once in Korea, it is even more difficult to learn advanced vocabulary beyond everyday Korean."

Powerless Against Illegal Residents

The increasing proportion of foreigners who fail to adapt to life in Korea and become illegal residents is also a problem. According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of illegal residents among registered foreigners rose by 9.02% over two years, from 388,000 in 2021 to 423,000 in 2023. In particular, the number of illegal residents holding E-9 visas increased sharply after the Ministry relaxed issuance conditions and greatly expanded the selection scale, citing aging and labor shortages. The number of illegal residents who entered with E-9 visas rose by 10.82%, from 50,800 in 2021 to 56,300 in 2023.

Experts diagnose that government policies focusing solely on expanding the E-9 visa quota without comprehensively reviewing language skills and cultural understanding levels are problematic. Senior Research Fellow Lee said, "Foreign workers become illegal residents for various reasons, such as failing to extend visas after their stay period ends or leaving designated workplaces, but lack of language skills and cultural maladjustment are major factors," advising, "It is necessary to raise language proficiency standards at the selection stage and mandate Korean language learning and cultural education even after entry."