Cheongdo County Selects 100 Foreign Workers in the Philippines Through Direct Interviews and Evaluation

Cheongdo County (Governor Kim Hasu) announced on December 12 that it visited Cavinti, Philippines, from December 10 to 11 to conduct the selection and training of foreign seasonal workers for the first half of 2026, as well as the preliminary selection of public seasonal workers.

This local selection was carried out to proactively address the continuously increasing demand for agricultural labor in rural areas. The county directly conducted a multi-stage process for applicants from Cavinti, including identity verification, physical fitness tests, and interviews, ultimately selecting 100 diligent and reliable workers capable of stable employment.

Group photo after the local selection of foreign seasonal workers in the Philippines in the first half of 2026. Provided by Cheongdo County

In particular, to introduce the public seasonal worker system, the county jointly conducted interviews with the local agricultural cooperative (Cheongdo Agricultural Cooperative), thereby securing a public labor pool that can be dispatched to farms on a daily basis starting in 2026.

The selected workers will complete mandatory training before entering Korea, covering basic Korean language, agricultural safety regulations, prevention of unauthorized departures, and understanding of Korean culture.

Additionally, the county visited Cavinti City Hall to share the operational results of the foreign seasonal worker program, discuss measures to prevent worker departures and strengthen cooperation for improving employment conditions. The county also visited local farms and agricultural technology centers in the Philippines to explore agricultural technologies that could be applied domestically and to consider expanding international exchanges.

Since the introduction of the system in 2023, Cheongdo County has maintained it without a single case of unauthorized departure. Based on this transparent and systematic management, the county has been selected for two consecutive years by the Ministry of Justice as an 'Outstanding Local Government for Foreign Seasonal Workers.'

Kim Hasu, Governor of Cheongdo County, stated, "The excellent workers selected directly in the Philippines will be a great asset to our rural farming sites," adding, "Through the public seasonal worker program scheduled to be introduced next year, we will address the labor supply-demand imbalance and expand support so that farms can focus on stable agricultural management."