Yeongyang County Welcomes 423 Foreign Seasonal Workers

Great Help Expected in Addressing Labor Shortages During the Busy Farming Season

Yeongyang-gun, North Gyeongsang Province announced that a total of 345 foreign seasonal workers will enter the country in three groups from April 4 to April 9.

423 foreign seasonal workers have entered Yeongyang County. Photo by Yeongyang County

Following the arrival of 78 workers on March 25 through the family invitation method for marriage immigrants, this time 345 workers are entering under the MOU agreement system. They have entered with E-8 visas and will stay at contracted farms until early November, performing agricultural work.

On the day of arrival, a welcoming ceremony and orientation will be held to help the workers adapt smoothly. In addition, drug tests will be conducted at hospitals designated by the Ministry of Justice, and foreigner registration will be completed within three months.

The newly arrived workers will be employed at various farms growing crops such as chili peppers, lettuce, and fruit, helping to alleviate the shortage of labor during the busy farming season and, at the same time, learning Yeongyang-gun's advanced agricultural techniques.

Currently, the county is implementing policies to ensure stable stays for seasonal workers by supporting drug test fees, foreigner registration fees, and food supplies. The county also plans to regularly visit sites to check compliance with labor conditions and protect the human rights of foreign seasonal workers.

County Governor Oh Dochang stated, "Thanks to the seasonal workers arriving during the transplanting season for crops like chili peppers and lettuce, we are greatly alleviating our labor shortage and stabilizing labor costs. I especially hope they will be of significant help to farms affected by the recent wildfire disaster," adding, "We will continue to provide support and make further efforts to prevent human rights violations against seasonal workers."

Yeongyang-gun announced that additional foreign seasonal workers are scheduled to arrive in June and August, and that a total of 1,059 workers for 416 farms are expected to enter this year.