Pilot Project for Introducing Foreign Domestic Workers... Will It Be Effective?

Over 100 Filipinos Introduced to Dual-Income Families in Seoul
Service Quality and Domestic Job Reduction Emerge as Issues

The government’s plan to implement a pilot project this year to initially introduce around 100 foreign domestic workers has sparked intense debate. The government has been preparing the foreign domestic worker pilot project with the aim of alleviating childcare and household burdens to overcome the low birthrate issue.

However, concerns have also been raised regarding trust issues toward foreign domestic workers, worries about whether the quality of childcare and household services might decline, human rights issues, and wage equity with domestic domestic workers.

On the 27th, visitors are looking at childcare products at the 57th KOBE Baby Fair held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. 20221027 / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The introduction of foreign domestic workers began as a discussion aimed at reducing the financial burden of childcare and household chores. The government expects that if women’s childcare and household burdens are eased, issues such as career interruptions and low birthrates can also be overcome.

On the 31st of last month, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced a pilot project plan to introduce around 100 foreign domestic helpers from countries such as the Philippines to dual-income families in Seoul. According to the Ministry’s plan, the pilot project targets dual-income couples in their 20s to 40s living in Seoul, single-parent families, and pregnant women. Foreign domestic workers will be employed by government-certified agencies and will commute to households that have contracts with these agencies to provide household and childcare services. The working period is a minimum of six months.

Foreign domestic workers will receive wages at or above the minimum wage (9,620 won), just like domestic workers. In the case of domestic domestic workers, commuting-type (commuting) workers usually receive more than 15,000 won per hour. Since costs are expected to decrease compared to domestic workers even when guaranteeing the minimum wage, the government anticipates that household burdens can be reduced.

However, concerns about effectiveness also exist. At a public hearing on the introduction of foreign domestic workers held at the Royal Hotel Seoul in Seoul on the same day, various opinions were expressed, including concerns about service quality decline, cultural differences, and human rights issues. Some civic groups even criticized it as a 'new slavery system.'

There are also growing concerns that the introduction of foreign domestic workers could reduce job opportunities for domestic women. Choi Young-mi, Chairperson of the Domestic Care Union, pointed out in a CBS radio interview on the 1st, "Our country will enter a super-aged society by the year after next. The population aged 65 and over will exceed 20%, and the number of female job seekers aged 60 and over is also increasing significantly," adding, "Where will those people be able to find work?"

Chairperson Choi emphasized that to solve women’s career interruptions and low birthrate issues, approaches such as reducing working hours, fostering democratic workplace cultures, and expanding parental leave should be pursued.

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