Boseong-gun Solves Labor Shortage with Arrival of Foreign Seasonal Workers

190 Foreign Workers Assigned to 28 Farms

[Boseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Cheon-seok] Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 20th that it has started addressing the labor shortage during the busy farming season caused by aging and population decline by utilizing foreign seasonal workers.

In the second half of 2022, Boseong-gun promoted a foreign seasonal worker program and was allocated 190 workers to work at 28 farms.

So far, 11 farms and 68 workers have signed labor contracts, and preparations are underway for entry as relatives of marriage immigrants. Among them, 50 workers who will work at 7 farms are scheduled to enter the country at the end of October, and 18 workers will enter sequentially once related procedures are completed.

The workers who have entered the country must undergo COVID-19 tests, drug tests, and visit the immigration office within 90 days of entry to complete foreigner registration.

To prevent the desertion of seasonal workers and labor rights issues, Boseong-gun plans to conduct regular inspections and education for the seasonal workers who have entered and the employing farms until the workers depart the country.

A Boseong-gun official said, “Due to aging, population decline, and rising labor costs, the shortage of agricultural labor is intensifying, making the labor shortage a serious issue,” and added, “The entry of foreign seasonal workers this time will be an opportunity to resolve the labor shortage on farms.”

Additionally, Boseong-gun plans to conduct a demand survey for farms wishing to introduce foreign seasonal workers for the first half of 2023 over three weeks from October 24 to November 9.

Farms wishing to introduce foreign seasonal workers in 2023 can apply by visiting the town or township office with their ID and agricultural management registration confirmation, and depending on the crop and cultivation area, up to 9 workers per farm can be requested.

Participating farms must provide appropriate living conditions such as accommodation and food ingredients to seasonal workers and comply with labor conditions including minimum wage, working period, and overtime guarantees.

Meanwhile, the foreign seasonal worker program implemented by the Ministry of Justice is a system that allows the legal employment of foreigners for a short period in the agricultural sector, which has high seasonal labor demand.

Boseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Cheon-seok hss79@asiae.co.kr

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