People Power Party's Sungbeom Shin Calls for Dedicated Organization to Address Rural Labor Shortages

"Addressing the Issue of Illegal Brokers
and Systematizing Rural Labor Management"

Assemblyman Sungbeom Shin (People Power Party, representing Sancheong, Hamyang, Geochang, and Hapcheon) has sponsored a bill to amend relevant laws in order to strengthen the management system for foreign workers in rural areas.

On May 13, Assemblyman Shin announced that he had submitted three legislative bills to the National Assembly: an amendment to the Act on the Support for Employment of Agricultural and Fishery Workers, which provides the basis for establishing a dedicated organization for foreign seasonal workers; an amendment to the Immigration Control Act; and an amendment to the Local Autonomy Act.

Recently, rural areas have become increasingly dependent on foreign workers due to declining birth rates, an aging population, and the worsening avoidance of so-called 3D (dirty, dangerous, difficult) jobs.

[Photo provided by Shin Sungbeom, National Assembly Office] Photo by Shin Sungbeom

In particular, foreign seasonal workers have become a core workforce in the agricultural sector, but there is currently a lack of dedicated organizations and personnel to systematically manage them.

At present, many local governments are handling the management of foreign workers alongside their existing agricultural administration work without separate organizations, which is increasing the administrative burden. There are also growing concerns that, as a result, both employers and foreign workers are increasingly relying on brokers.

Assemblyman Sungbeom Shin of the People Power Party said, "With the sharp increase in foreign workers in the agricultural sector, some brokers are demanding excessive fees." He explained the rationale for the bill, stating, "By establishing a legal basis for local governments to set up dedicated departments for foreign seasonal workers, we aim to systematize rural labor management and address the problem of illegal brokers."

He added, "Improving the management system for foreign workers is necessary to resolve the labor shortage in rural areas and maintain a stable agricultural production base. We will continue to strengthen institutional support so that local governments can respond more professionally and efficiently."

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