Chungnam Province Attracts 521 Seasonal Workers from Laos... Highest Monthly Record Ever

Expectations for Resolving Rural Labor Shortages

Chungnam Province is leading Laotian seasonal workers at the airport.

Chungnam Province announced on the 17th that it will bring in 521 seasonal workers from Laos to provide timely support for farming activities in local farms, aiming to resolve the labor shortage in rural areas as the peak farming season begins.

This number of seasonal workers is the largest monthly figure since the province signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of Laos in December 2022 to promote mutual exchange in the agricultural sector and ensure a smooth supply of agricultural labor, including the introduction of seasonal workers.

The province first brought in 118 seasonal workers from Laos in 2023, followed by 742 last year, and plans to further expand the program to attract more than 1,500 seasonal workers by the end of this year.

In addition, the province plans to attract more than 9,000 foreign seasonal workers in total, ensuring a stable supply of agricultural labor to rural areas within the province.

This year, all 14 cities and counties in the province (which have introduced seasonal workers) achieved the distinction of being selected in the Ministry of Justice’s evaluation of outstanding local governments for managing foreign seasonal workers, making Chungnam the only province in the country to achieve this.

As a result, the province has been granted incentives such as allowing employers to hire two additional workers and exemption from documentation proving agricultural employment, which is expected to further boost the attraction of foreign seasonal workers.

Meanwhile, the province is supporting the activation and expansion of the foreign seasonal worker system by operating 14 public rural workforce brokerage centers, improving the employment environment for foreign seasonal workers in 14 cities and counties, constructing dormitories for agricultural workers in three cities and counties, and operating one provincial-level intermediary organization.

To help foreign seasonal workers quickly adapt to life in Korea, the province is actively providing support such as airport guidance on the day of arrival, education on basic living laws, etiquette, crime prevention, labor contract compliance, language assistance, and Korean cultural experiences, helping workers settle in smoothly.

In particular, to prevent wage arrears and provide convenient financial services, the province signed an MOU last year with NH Nonghyup Bank Chungnam Headquarters and 15 cities and counties in the province to support the rapid opening of wage accounts for seasonal workers starting this year, and is also cooperating with the Korean National Tuberculosis Association to provide free tuberculosis screening.

Lee Jeongsam, Director of the Provincial Bureau of Agriculture and Livestock, said, "We will continue to actively attract high-quality foreign seasonal workers to proactively address labor shortages during the peak farming season."

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