Seoul City Launches 'Housework and Childcare' Participation Program for Foreigners in Korea

Ministry of Justice and Seoul Launch Project for Foreign Residents' Participation in Household and Childcare Services
Applications Open to Foreign Residents with D-2 and Other Eligible Visas
Matching Support for Seoul-based Households Raising Minors

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is launching a pilot project to involve foreigners residing or staying in Seoul in household chores and childcare. This government initiative, called the 'Foreign Domestic Worker' project, aims to address both the labor shortage in the care sector and the expansion of foreign workforce.

On the 23rd, Seoul announced that recruitment for this project targeting foreigners staying in Korea will begin on the 24th. The recruitment period is open to adult foreigners holding one of four specific types of legally valid domestic stay visas, and applications can be submitted through a public-private collaborative platform.

In the pilot project, Seoul will handle administrative procedures such as supply-demand matching, education management, and civil complaint responses, while the Ministry of Justice will support by verifying stay information, granting activity permits, and providing educational programs. In particular, Seoul will offer services in three formats?dedicated household chores, dedicated childcare, and combined household chores and childcare?to families residing in Seoul raising minors aged 6 to 18. At the same time, Seoul will be responsible for administrative tasks such as conducting and verifying the completion of training for service providers. The service provision format will be autonomously decided between demand and supply parties, either part-time or full-time (8 hours), and contracts will be private agreements between the user households and service providers.

The Ministry of Justice will verify stay information and grant permission for activities beyond the stay qualification to foreigners who meet the requirements (Immigration Control Act Article 20). For F-3 visa holders, activities are permitted only if the principal visa holder (spouse) holds an E-1 to E-7, F-2, F-4, or H-2 visa. The Ministry of Justice will collaborate with the Korea Immigration Foundation to provide educational programs on human rights and household/childcare fields.

International students participating in this project will receive benefits such as expanded employment hours (minimum 10 hours → maximum 35 hours) and expanded work locations (maximum 2 places → maximum 3 places) to increase employment opportunities.

In part-time employment in the household and childcare sectors, working up to 35 hours on weekdays and at up to 3 workplaces is allowed without requiring certification from universities or additional points for academic excellence. However, if combined with other part-time employment activities, at least 10 hours per week must be dedicated to household and childcare activities. Additionally, if an international student works in the household and childcare sector for more than six months, they will be awarded 10 points when extending their stay period under the 'Job-Seeking Qualification (D-10)'. Furthermore, those engaged in household and childcare activities can receive 'volunteer activity points' when obtaining the points-based excellent visa (F-2-7), and depending on activity hours, they may receive relaxed or waived financial proof document requirements when extending their study stay period.

However, controversy may continue regarding the 'wage' system. This foreign domestic worker differs from the 'Filipino Domestic Manager' pilot project currently run by Seoul. Unlike domestic managers, foreign domestic workers are not subject to labor laws such as minimum wage. These workers are foreigners currently residing in Korea who are often proficient in Korean and well adapted to Korean culture, unlike the Filipino Domestic Managers. This increases the likelihood that they will demand higher wages during individual contract negotiations.

Lee Haeseon, Director of Global City Policy at Seoul City, said, "This project is a pilot program promoted through collaboration between the Ministry of Justice and local governments, providing foreigners staying in Korea with opportunities to engage in household and childcare services. We hope this project will reduce the household and childcare burdens of families raising children while helping to secure the stability of foreigners' stay, benefiting both citizens and foreigners."

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