Employment Minister: "Easing of Foreign Worker Entry Restrictions by Late November"

Site Visit to Jungil, a Metal Manufacturing Company in Ansan, Gyeonggi

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government will prepare measures to ease restrictions on the entry of foreign workers by the end of this month. The policy speed will be accelerated to resolve labor shortages in small and medium-sized enterprises and rural fishing villages in line with the timing of the phased daily recovery (With Corona) policy implementation.

On the 1st, An Kyung-duk, Minister of Employment and Labor, visited Jungil, a metal manufacturing company in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, and said, "We will ensure that the introduction of foreign workers can be expanded from the end of this month at the latest." Specifically, the government plans to promote ▲ easing restrictions on foreign worker entry ▲ introduction of foreign workers from all sending countries ▲ abolition of daily and weekly introduction limits.

The government has restricted the countries allowed to send foreign workers to Korea and managed the number of entrants. Only new workers from certain countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, East Timor, Laos, and China were allowed entry. Entry was limited to 100 people per day and 600 people per week. Before boarding flights to Korea, foreign workers had to undergo PCR tests within 72 hours and were allowed entry only if negative, followed by 14 days of facility quarantine after arrival.

As a result of the high-intensity quarantine policy, the number of foreign workers, which was about 50,000 annually, sharply decreased to 6,000 to 7,000 per year. As of the end of last month, about 50,000 foreign workers who received employment permits from last year to this year have not been able to enter Korea.

Minister An said, "Considering the prolonged labor shortages in small and medium-sized enterprises and rural fishing villages and the transition of the quarantine system to phased daily recovery, we plan to gradually ease the entry restrictions on foreign workers that have been strictly limited since the spread of COVID-19." He also urged, "Workplaces should thoroughly manage the vaccination of foreign workers scheduled to enter soon and workplace quarantine management."

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