Haenam, Wando, and Jindo Account for One-Fifth of Nationwide Allocation
Labor Shortage Relief Expected for Farming and Fishing Households
"Ongoing Efforts Finally Bear Fruit"
In the Ministry of Justice's additional allocation of foreign seasonal workers for the second half of this year, the regions of Haenam, Wando, and Jindo in South Jeolla Province received the largest number of workers nationwide. Park Jiwon, member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Haenam, Wando, and Jindo), emphasized the significance of this, stating, "Our ongoing efforts to address the local labor shortage have finally borne fruit."
On June 27, Park announced on his Facebook page, "As a result of the Ministry of Justice's additional allocation of foreign seasonal workers for the second half of the year, a total of 4,315 workers have been assigned to the three counties of Haenam, Wando, and Jindo." He added, "This figure accounts for nearly one-fifth of the 22,731 workers allocated to 100 local governments nationwide."
Park Jiwon, member of the Democratic Party of Korea
In particular, Haenam County (1,842 workers) and Wando County (1,937 workers) received the highest number of allocations nationwide for the second half of the year. Among the total 20,718 workers allocated to the entire South Jeolla Province, Wando ranked first with 3,277 workers, and Haenam ranked second with 3,094 workers.
He stressed, "This outcome is the result of continuous efforts to improve the foreign seasonal worker system and to ensure the rapid supply of labor." He added, "It is also essential to establish a policy foundation for protecting the rights of foreign workers and providing a stable working environment." Park continued, "I have consistently paid attention to the management of foreign labor in the region, and it appears that the Ministry of Justice has responded to these efforts."
Starting this year, Haenam will also implement a new public pilot project in the fisheries sector. Under this public management system, the local fisheries cooperative will directly hire and manage seasonal workers, dispatching labor to fishing sites on a daily basis and paying wages accordingly.
Park stated, "I have organized several forums on the supply of foreign labor and human rights issues, and during the National Assembly audit, I pointed out the shortage of visa issuance staff at the Mokpo Immigration Office, which led to an increase in personnel." He added, "It seems the Ministry of Justice has responded to these demands from the local community."
He concluded, "I hope this will provide practical support to farming and fishing households in the Haenam, Wando, and Jindo regions during the peak agricultural and fishing seasons. I would also like to thank the Ministry of Justice, South Jeolla Province, and the officials of the Haenam, Wando, and Jindo local governments for their cooperation."
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