Naju-si Introduces Foreign Seasonal Workers... 10 Times Increase Compared to Previous Year

Published 09 Nov.2023 17:31(KST)

Naju City in Jeollanam-do is seeing significant effects from its focused efforts to introduce foreign seasonal workers to alleviate labor shortages in rural areas, with the number of workers deployed to farms increasing tenfold from 32 last year to 366 this year.

On the 9th, the city announced that 127 farms applied to employ 545 foreign seasonal workers for the first half of 2024.

This figure represents a 1.6-fold increase compared to the 366 seasonal workers deployed to farms this year, and when combined with the estimated 50 to 100 public-type seasonal workers, it is expected that over 600 seasonal workers will assist farm labor in the first half of next year.

Foreign seasonal workers at work. [Photo by Naju City]

This year, 316 seasonal workers arrived in the region, playing a significant role in addressing labor shortages in fruit orchards, greenhouse facilities, and other areas.

Adding 50 workers from the public-type seasonal labor program, a total of 366 foreign seasonal workers were deployed, with the labor input effect through the introduction of seasonal workers estimated to be equivalent to about 50,000 people.

In particular, the average daily wage, which had maintained around 140,000 KRW during peak farming seasons, dropped to around 110,000 to 120,000 KRW thanks to active labor support policies and the enactment of ordinances, resulting in a minimum labor cost saving of approximately 3.5 billion KRW for farms.

According to a satisfaction survey conducted by Naju City in September among farms employing foreign seasonal workers, 84% of the 45 farms expressed satisfaction, and among them, 93% wished to continue employing these workers.

Notably, the largest number of 159 workers in the province applied for extended stays through farms, and 153 diligent workers received recommendations for re-entry.

The city plans to submit a letter of intent to the Ministry of Justice this month after conducting first-round document screening and second-round interviews for farms applying for foreign seasonal workers in the first half of next year. Once the Ministry of Justice completes its review and allocation is confirmed, foreign seasonal workers are scheduled to be introduced starting February next year.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae evaluated, “The foreign seasonal worker policy successfully took root this year, thanks to various support policies to resolve rural labor shortages and the city council’s efforts, including the enactment of the foreign seasonal worker support ordinance last April.”

He added, “Along with the activation of the system, active cooperation from farms is necessary to protect human rights, prevent unauthorized worker absences, and comply with working conditions. We will continue to do our best to introduce and support foreign seasonal workers to resolve the chronic rural labor shortage.”