Sungju County Works to Overcome Language Barriers

On-site Interpretation Support for Foreign Seasonal Workers

Sungju County in North Gyeongsang Province made a direct visit to workplaces together with interpreters (interpretation support) to help foreign seasonal workers and employers better understand language and cultural differences.

Visiting the work site with an interpreter (interpretation support) to help understand language and cultural differences between foreign seasonal workers and employers / Photo by Lee Ihwan

This interpretation support initiative aimed to listen directly to difficulties encountered in the field during the employment and work process of foreign seasonal workers, and provided explanations about Korean culture and food to help workers adapt to life in Korea as quickly as possible. Misunderstandings and conflicts that could not be communicated due to difficulties in mutual communication were resolved through this opportunity, and satisfaction with on-site interpretation support was improved.

On-site interpretation support is provided for all workers entering Sungju County, with support given within three weeks of each entry. This approach moves beyond simple civil complaint handling to provide customized administrative support that reflects the voices from the field.

One foreign seasonal worker commented, "I had difficulty adapting to life in Korea, but visiting the site together with an interpreter helped resolve all the issues I had at once, which made me feel much more at ease." An employer added, "It was very inconvenient not being able to communicate easily with workers, but this opportunity has been a great help."

A Sungju County official stated, "We will continue to hold such events so that workers who have come from afar to earn a living can adapt to Korea as quickly as possible, and we ask employers to show small acts of consideration and understanding for the workers." The official further said, "Although we face difficulties every year due to labor shortages and burdens in agriculture, these issues have been alleviated to some extent by introducing workers, and we will do our utmost to provide administrative support to increase satisfaction with worker employment."

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