Gyeonggi-do Invests 6 Billion KRW to Alleviate Labor Shortage in Rural Areas

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Gyeonggi Province will invest a total of 6.06 billion KRW this year to address the shortage of labor in rural areas.

In accordance with the "Special Act on Support for Agricultural and Fishery Employment" to be implemented in February, Gyeonggi Province will invest 240 million KRW (200 million KRW from provincial funds) to establish the Gyeonggi Rural Workforce Support Center.

The special act allows city and provincial governors to designate institutions or organizations that meet the necessary requirements as Agricultural and Fishery Employment Support Centers for systematic support of agricultural and fishery employment. The center will be operated by the Gyeonggi-do Agricultural and Fisheries Promotion Agency and will be responsible for recruiting and deploying a provincial-level labor pool, expanding the introduction of foreign seasonal workers, and providing education and management support.

Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will support a total project cost of 1.39 billion KRW (50% national funding) for 10 cities and counties through the Rural Workforce Brokerage Centers and Public Seasonal Worker projects.

The Rural Workforce Brokerage Centers recruit domestic workers in advance and support brokerage without fees to farms experiencing labor shortages during peak farming seasons. This year, 13 centers will operate in 10 cities and counties including Anseong, Pyeongtaek, Yangpyeong, Paju, Hwaseong, Pocheon, Yeoncheon, Gimpo, Yeoju, and Yongin.

The Public Seasonal Worker project is operated by the NongHyup (National Agricultural Cooperative Federation), which directly employs foreign seasonal workers, provides shared accommodation, and supports farm work. Due to high demand for labor supply among small and medium-sized farms that find it difficult to employ foreign workers long-term, the project is expanding from one location last year to four locations this year in Anseong, Paju, Yeoju, and Yeoncheon.

The number of foreign seasonal workers assigned to 17 cities and counties, including Yangju, is expected to improve labor supply with an increase of 1.6 times compared to last year, totaling 2,440 workers.

Gyeonggi Province plans to support a total project cost of 1.1 billion KRW (330 million KRW from provincial funds) for personnel, expenses, and management system operation necessary for the introduction and operation of seasonal workers in cities and counties.

Furthermore, 3.33 billion KRW (1 billion KRW from provincial funds) has been secured to support the construction of accommodations for foreign workers, with project targets to be selected through a public contest and construction support provided by 2025.

Previously, Gyeonggi Province selected five locations in five cities and counties last year to proceed with new construction and remodeling of shared accommodations.

Jin Hak-hoon, Director of the Agricultural Policy Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "As rural population decline and aging cause difficulties in securing farm labor, we will carry out rural workforce support projects without delay and closely monitor labor supply situations to ensure there are no disruptions in agricultural production."

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