Yeongcheon City to Close Applications for 2026 Foreign Seasonal Workers on the 30th... Changed to Once-a-Year Process Starting This Year

by Choi Daeok

Published 04 Sep.2025 17:37(KST)

Yeongcheon City has announced that applications for foreign seasonal workers for both the first and second halves of 2026 will be accepted at each Eup, Myeon, and Dong Administrative Welfare Center until the 30th.

Starting with the 2026 seasonal worker application, all participation procedures will be completed with a single application that covers both the first and second halves of the year.

Yeongcheon City Hall Exterior View

In addition, as the scope of invitation for marriage immigrants has been reduced from within fourth-degree relatives to within second-degree relatives, it is expected that the introduction of seasonal workers from Laos will further increase.

Furthermore, applicants can now set the contract period for up to eight months, allowing them to apply for the maximum stay period in a single application without needing to submit a separate extension request.

With the change to a once-a-year application process, it is anticipated that more farm owners will apply this time, and the number of seasonal workers invited from Laos is also expected to increase compared to last year.

Choi Kimoon, Mayor of Yeongcheon, stated, "We will do our utmost to resolve the labor shortage in rural areas and stabilize labor costs through foreign seasonal workers," adding, "In response to the growing interest in seasonal employment, we will also strengthen the management and support of these workers."

Meanwhile, Yeongcheon City has been selected for the agricultural worker dormitory contest project and is set to become the first in the country to complete two facilities simultaneously.

The dormitories will be established in Kumho and Gogeong, one in each location, and will be operated by Kumho Agricultural Cooperative and Gogeong Agricultural Cooperative, which have been designated as public seasonal worker management agencies.