Starting December, 100 Foreign Domestic Helpers Will Join

Pilot Introduction of 100 Foreign Domestic Workers from December
Expansion of E-7-4 Foreign Skilled Workers from 5,000 to 35,000

Starting this December, foreign domestic workers will be able to enter Korea with an E-9 visa to provide housekeeping and childcare services. A pilot program limited to 100 people in Seoul will prioritize dual-income couples in their 20s to 40s, single-parent families, and families with multiple children. The quota for foreign skilled workers (E-7-4) will be expanded sevenfold this year, from 5,000 to 35,000.

On the 1st, the Office for Government Policy Coordination announced the "Plan to Expand Foreign Workforce and Improve Regulations," which includes these details. The key point is the confirmation of the introduction timing for foreign domestic workers, previously under coordination, to December within this year.

The cost burden for users of foreign domestic worker services will be guided to be lower than the current market rate (around 15,000 KRW per hour) through collaboration with Seoul City, certified service providers, and others. If the preferred part-time method, desired by most households, is used, the cost burden will be further reduced.

Foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong gather outdoors to relax on their day off (Photo by Yonhap News).

Expansion after 6-month pilot operation of foreign domestic workers

The hiring method for foreign domestic workers involves government-certified service providers recruiting foreign domestic workers under the minimum wage, and providing housekeeping and childcare services by commuting to households that have signed usage contracts with the providers.

The government plans to comprehensively assess service satisfaction, desired payment levels, and management improvements through about six months of pilot operation, and improve the program to provide practical help to families struggling with childcare and housekeeping.

Bang Gi-seon, head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said at the "Foreign Workforce Policy Committee and Foreign Workforce Integrated Management Promotion TF" held that day, “Since the pilot project for foreign domestic workers provides housekeeping and childcare services within households, it is essential to thoroughly manage it with practical education from the demanders’ perspective and meticulous monitoring.”

Foreign skilled worker quota expanded sevenfold... "Response to worsening labor shortages"

Additionally, the government decided to significantly expand the foreign workforce. The quota for foreign skilled workers (E-7-4) this year will increase from 5,000 to 35,000 to actively respond to the demand for skilled labor on site. The employment limits per workplace under the Employment Permit System (E-9, H-2) will also be more than doubled.

Employment of foreign workers under the Employment Permit System (E-9) will also be allowed in mid-sized companies in root industries located outside the metropolitan area (outside Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon), which suffer from chronic labor shortages, as well as in loading and unloading jobs in courier services and airport ground handling.

Director Bang said, “Expanding the companies, industries, and employment limits per workplace under the Employment Permit System (E-9) is a necessary measure to effectively respond to the worsening labor shortages in industrial sites,” adding, “Active promotion and continuous inspection are needed to ensure proper settlement on site.”

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