Gochang County Achieves Strong Arrival Rate of Seasonal Workers, Vows to Minimize Labor Shortages for Local Farms

1,800 Workers Arrive Ahead of Rice Planting and Potato Harvesting Seasons
Efforts to Expedite Entry Despite Challenges from Middle East War and Stricter Long-Term Stay Screening

Amid a global aviation crisis caused by events such as the Middle East war, Gochang County is making every effort to facilitate the arrival of foreign seasonal workers. In particular, the county has managed to secure the entry of 1,800 workers ahead of the rice planting and potato harvesting seasons.

This year, Gochang County plans to bring in a total of 3,000 foreign seasonal workers in the first half, and 1,800 of them—representing 60%—have already arrived. This places Gochang County among the top cities and counties in North Jeolla Province in terms of arrival rates.

Gochang County, welcoming ceremony for Cambodian seasonal workers who arrived this year. Provided by Gochang County

The main reason for the slow arrival of foreign seasonal workers this year is the surge in oil prices and reduced flight availability due to the Middle East war between the United States and Iran. Additionally, stricter long-term stay screening for nationals in their home countries as part of international crime prevention measures has further contributed to delays. On the domestic front, an increase in the recruitment of Southeast Asian international students—driven by the Ministry of Education’s response to declining school-age populations—has also led to visa processing delays.

Despite these unfavorable conditions, Gochang County is continuing to work closely with sending countries to facilitate the entry of workers. Starting with 36 workers from Laos on April 16, a total of 419 more are scheduled to arrive by April 22. The county aims to have a total of 2,550 workers—85% of its target—arrive by the end of this month.

In cases where securing flight tickets is difficult, Gochang County is utilizing every possible method to expedite worker entry, including having workers travel via third countries such as China, as seen in previous instances.

Kim Youngsik, Acting Governor of Gochang County, stated, "Although some arrivals are delayed due to external factors such as delays in certificate issuance for visa approval and instability in flight availability, Gochang County continues to maintain one of the highest arrival rates in the province. We will do our utmost to ensure the prompt entry of workers to minimize the impact on local farms."

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