"Addressing Labor Shortages"
A Warm Farewell as Workers Return Home
Gokseong County held a departure event on the 1st for foreign workers who helped out at local farms. Provided by Gokseong County
On October 1, Gokseong County in South Jeolla Province, led by County Governor Cho Sangrae, held a departure event for public seasonal workers who had assisted local farms over the past five months.
Approximately 40 people attended the event, including County Governor Cho Sangrae, the Vice Chairman of the County Council, the head of the county branch of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, representatives from local agricultural cooperatives, and the seasonal workers themselves. The event included the presentation of gifts and bouquets, farewell speeches, commemorative photos, and a luncheon. After the event, the workers traveled to Incheon International Airport to return to their home countries.
This year, the county brought in 60 foreign seasonal workers through three local agricultural cooperatives-Seokgok, Okgwa, and Gokseong. These workers were assigned to various agricultural tasks, such as melon planting and harvesting cherry tomatoes and potatoes. Of these, 40 workers affiliated with Gokseong Agricultural Cooperative and Okgwa Agricultural Cooperative returned home earlier on August 21, while 20 workers from Seokgok Agricultural Cooperative participated in the event on October 1.
The public seasonal worker program is being promoted to address the chronic labor shortage in rural areas and to establish a mutually beneficial model that supports both farmers and workers.
The county and the agricultural cooperatives provided the workers with accommodation in experience villages and pensions, assigned dedicated staff to ensure a stable living environment, and offered basic language and safety education.
With the deployment of seasonal workers, local farms were able to carry out timely farming operations, resulting in increased productivity and improved quality. The workers also benefited from stable incomes, leading to high satisfaction among both employers and employees.
In his farewell address, County Governor Cho Sangrae expressed his gratitude, saying, "I am deeply thankful for the dedication of the seasonal workers, who have been a great help to farms struggling with labor shortages. Although today is a bittersweet farewell, I look forward to meeting again soon."
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