Muan County Welcomes First Arrival of Foreign Seasonal Workers

Labor Support for Farming Season
About 2,000 Workers to Be Assigned Annually

Muan County conducted an entry compliance training for foreign workers. Photo by Muan County

Muan County, South Jeolla Province, has begun introducing foreign seasonal workers ahead of the main farming season.

The county announced that on March 13, a total of 34 seasonal workers from Laos arrived via Incheon International Airport and Gimhae International Airport.

The foreign seasonal worker system is designed to address labor shortages in rural and fishing communities by allowing local farmers to employ foreign workers who enter Korea through either a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed with foreign local governments or via the family invitation system for marriage immigrants. Seasonal workers can work in rural areas for up to eight months.

The county plans to introduce approximately 1,300 seasonal workers in the first half of this year, and with the second half included, around 2,000 seasonal workers are expected to be assigned to local farms throughout the year.

On the first day of arrival, the county conducted drug tests for the seasonal workers and held an entry compliance education session with the 13 employers.

During the training session held at Seungdal Culture and Arts Center, both seasonal workers and employers participated. The program, provided with simultaneous interpretation, covered topics such as the protection of seasonal workers’ human rights, employer compliance requirements, and information about mandatory insurance enrollment.

Employers were especially urged to practice respect for seasonal workers, including using appropriate forms of address, while seasonal workers were asked to maintain smooth communication with employers and perform their work diligently.

The county also provided guidance on the four mandatory insurance policies—agricultural safety insurance, industrial accident insurance, wage default guarantee insurance, and injury insurance—which have been required since February 15 under the revised Special Act on Support for Employment in Agriculture and Fisheries.

Park Seongseo, Head of the Agricultural Policy Division at Muan County, stated, "We plan to complete the entry of seasonal workers for the first half of the year by April," adding, "We will continue to promote this program to address rural labor shortages while protecting the human rights of foreign seasonal workers."

Meanwhile, last year Muan County expanded the foreign seasonal worker system by signing business agreements with countries such as Vietnam, Mongolia, Thailand, and Bangladesh, and by easing requirements for the family invitation system for marriage immigrants. The county also plans to conduct a survey of farm labor demand through town and township offices between April and May in preparation for the introduction of additional seasonal workers in the second half of the year.

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