"Resolving Labor Shortages on Farms" Seasonal Worker Management System to Be Revised

The 6th Ministerial Meeting on National Issues Confirms 'Improvement Measures for the Agricultural Seasonal Worker Management System'

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Kim Hyewon] To address the labor shortage on farms, the government plans to expand the public seasonal worker program to 17 local governments nationwide by 2024 and rationalize the conditions for changing workplaces. To ensure systematic workforce management, an agency dedicated to selecting seasonal workers will be designated, and a platform for career management will also be established.

On the 8th, the government reviewed and finalized the "Improvement Plan for the Agricultural Seasonal Worker Management System" at the 6th Ministerial Meeting on National Issues chaired by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

The seasonal worker system was introduced in 2015 to allow foreigners to be employed for a short term (up to 5 months) to meet the seasonal and short-term labor demands in sectors such as fruit and vegetable farming.

As the aging of farmers and labor shortages in agriculture deepen, the demand for seasonal workers in rural areas has steadily increased. However, due to the signing of memorandums of understanding (MOUs) by local governments and stringent conditions for changing workplaces, it has been difficult to employ the necessary workforce in a timely manner. In particular, the number of seasonal workers and Employment Permit System entrants has sharply declined due to COVID-19, exacerbating labor shortages in rural areas. Although the Ministry of Justice recently expanded the allocation of seasonal workers, the actual number of seasonal workers entering the country falls short of the allocated quota due to the impact of COVID-19. The number of seasonal workers entering was 2,984 in 2019, 0 in 2020, and 538 in 2021. The number of Employment Permit System entrants dropped sharply from the 50,000 range in 2019 to the 6,000 range in 2020, then recorded the 10,000 range last year.

To solve the labor shortage in rural areas, the Office for Government Policy Coordination gathered field opinions from basic local governments and held discussions with experts to prepare this improvement plan jointly with related ministries.

First, the current method where each basic local government contacts overseas partners to sign MOUs and attract seasonal workers will be replaced by having a designated agency handle all related tasks. This is to reduce excessive administrative workload and prevent concentration on certain countries.

The legal basis for operating the seasonal worker system will be established under the "Immigration Control Act," and legal grounds for agricultural labor support policies, including seasonal workers, will also be prepared. The government plans to strengthen cooperation among related agencies by dispatching personnel from ministries and local governments to the Ministry of Justice or forming dedicated teams.

The public seasonal worker program, which is easy to respond to short-term labor demands, will be expanded early. The currently pilot-operated public seasonal worker program allows farms to receive labor from seasonal workers on a daily basis, which has been well received by farmers. The government decided to advance the original plan to sequentially expand the public seasonal worker program to 17 local governments by 2027 and introduce it by 2024.

The government also reflected field feedback that the conditions for changing workplaces for seasonal workers are strict, and workers must pay a 60,000 KRW fee when changing workplaces, resulting in low employment flexibility and elasticity. Accordingly, it will allow the absorption and employment of workers who finish their work early before the contract period into the public seasonal worker program workforce. If the workplace change is for a legitimate reason, the fee will be waived, and the scope of workplace changes will be expanded by introducing a "Pumasi" (labor exchange) method where employers who applied for seasonal workers can exchange laborers among themselves.

To reduce the possibility of seasonal workers leaving without notice and to encourage diligent work, an integrated workforce management platform will be built and distributed. For diligent workers, the stay period will be extended up to 10 months within a maximum of 5 months, and if they work long-term (5 years) under the seasonal worker (E-8) qualification, they will be granted agricultural skilled worker stay status (E-7-5).

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