Pocheon City Welcomes Visit from Laos Minister of Labor, Social Welfare and Solidarity

Pocheon City, Gyeonggi Province, announced that on April 20, Mayor Baek Younghyun met with Phosay Sayasone, Minister of Labor, Social Welfare and Solidarity of Laos, at the mayor's office to introduce the achievements of the city's foreign seasonal worker program and discuss ways to expand future cooperation.

Baek Younghyun, mayor of Pocheon (right), shakes hands with Phosay Sayasone, Minister of Labor, Social Welfare and Social Security of Laos, at the mayor's office on the 20th. Courtesy of Pocheon City

The meeting was attended by the mayor of Pocheon, the vice mayor, the head of the Agricultural Technology Center, the CEO of the Agricultural Foundation, and the head of the Agricultural Policy Division, among other city officials. On the Laotian side, a total of 10 participants, including the minister and officials from employment-related departments, were present.

To address labor shortages during busy farming seasons, Pocheon City has been actively running a foreign seasonal worker program. The city brought in 58 workers in 2024 and 189 workers in 2025, with employment demand surging to a total of 457 workers in 2026. Among them, the number of Laotian seasonal workers is expected to increase significantly from 29 in 2025 to 141 in 2026. To date, 91 Laotian workers have already entered Korea and have been assigned to local farms.

A representative from Pocheon City stated, "Through ongoing cooperation with the government of Laos, we will continue to alleviate workforce shortages in rural areas and create a stable working environment for foreign workers. We will also expand international cooperation to enhance agricultural competitiveness and foster mutual growth within the local community."

Pocheon City plans to continue expanding exchanges with overseas partner countries to ensure the stable operation of the foreign seasonal worker program and to improve worker welfare.

To improve the living conditions of foreign workers, Pocheon City completed a dedicated accommodation facility for foreign workers in Igapalli, Soheul-eup. Six Laotian seasonal workers, who entered Korea for the short-term agricultural work outsourcing program operated by the Pocheon City Agricultural Foundation, are currently participating in this project.

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