To Enhance Agricultural Productivity... Following Foreigners' Health Insurance Relaxation, Seasonal Work Permits Allowed

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Announces '2021 Peak Farming Season Workforce Support Measures'
Increases Workforce Brokerage Centers by 30% to Broker 1.36 Million Annually
Seoul City and NongHyup Broker 500 Urban Residents for Rural Stay Jobs

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government has decided to allow foreigners residing in Korea to work as seasonal laborers in rural areas during the busy farming season. This policy aims to support labor shortages during peak agricultural periods and was announced shortly after lowering the threshold for foreign agricultural workers to enroll in health insurance. The number of rural labor brokerage centers will be increased by 30% compared to last year, and a pilot project will be launched to dispatch urban residents who wish to work in rural areas.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 8th that it plans to implement labor support measures for the busy farming season from April to June this year. The demand for labor during the spring farming season accounts for about 40% of the annual demand. Labor shortages are already severe due to population decline and aging, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated the recruitment of foreign workers. Earlier, on January 1, Minister Kim Hyun-soo of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated in his New Year's address that "labor-intensive agricultural sectors face serious labor shortages due to population decline and aging, and the structural vulnerability of our agricultural workforce has become more apparent due to COVID-19."

Maximizing the Use of Foreigners... Preventing the 'Population Cliff' in Rural Areas

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

First, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will cooperate with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Employment and Labor to allow the dispatch of foreign seasonal workers. This measure is aimed at addressing the more severe labor shortage in rural areas compared to the so-called 'population cliff,' a term commonly used in manufacturing sectors, to improve productivity. The 'population cliff' refers to the sharp decline in the proportion of the working-age population aged 15 to 64.

Conceptual Diagram of the Pilot Project for Dispatching Foreign Workers. (Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)

Specifically, Yanggu County in Gangwon Province and Muju County in Jeollabuk-do will take the lead in selecting foreign dispatch operators, securing quarantine facilities, and arranging accommodations and budgets for foreign workers. Each local government will thoroughly establish quarantine systems, including securing quarantine and lodging facilities and supplying protective equipment. This is in response to recent COVID-19 cluster infections occurring at workplaces employing foreign workers. It is also a preparatory step for introducing foreign seasonal workers from countries with excellent COVID-19 control to expand exchanges in the future.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Employment and Labor, temporary support for activating seasonal labor will be provided to foreigners who have been granted extensions for their departure deadlines due to COVID-19. Eligible visa categories include Visit Employment (H-2), Visit Cohabitation (F-1) and Accompanying (F-3), and Employment Permit System (E-9).

Increasing Labor Brokerage Centers by 30% to Broker 1.36 Million People Annually

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced plans to broker labor for 1.36 million people this year, a 30% increase from 1.04 million last year.

To this end, the ministry and local governments have established 239 labor brokerage centers. These centers deploy professional staff to organize farming work teams, conduct surveys on job supply and demand, and facilitate labor placement and brokerage.

Participants in agricultural work arranged through these centers will receive support for transportation costs (up to 100,000 KRW within the jurisdiction), accommodation costs (20,000 to 50,000 KRW), and accident insurance premiums.

Pilot Introduction of Dispatch Labor for Urban Residents

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced plans to launch a pilot project allowing urban residents to be dispatched as laborers to rural areas. Despite the difficulty in preventing the aging rural population and the net outflow of people to cities, the ministry decided to increase labor supply by identifying demand among urban residents.

The ministry will collaborate with the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (Nonghyup), producer organizations, and local governments to implement the pilot project. Dispatch companies will hire urban job seekers and dispatch them for 1 to 3 months to horticultural farms and other facilities with regular job openings. The government will support dispatch fees and the employee's share of the four major social insurance premiums.

Roles of each center for operating urban manpower brokerage centers. (Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)

Together with Seoul City and Nonghyup, the ministry will fully operate urban-type labor brokerage centers that mediate rural-customized jobs. Last year, a dispatch labor project was conducted for 200 urban residents, and this year the number will increase to 500. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Seoul City, and Nonghyup will recruit urban residents, provide agricultural work training, and then match them with rural job opportunities through the labor brokerage centers. Support will also be provided for accommodation arrangements, long-distance transportation costs, lodging fees, and group accident insurance premiums.

An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said, "We will explore all possible measures to secure labor during the busy farming season in cooperation with related ministries, local governments, and Nonghyup to ensure that agricultural production is not disrupted."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.