8,666 Foreign Agricultural Workers Entered in Q1, 'Record High'... Increased Sixfold

The number of foreign workers in the agricultural sector exceeded 8,600 in the first quarter of this year, marking a sixfold increase compared to the same period last year.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on the 13th, a total of 8,666 foreign workers entered the country in the first quarter of this year, a 531% increase compared to 1,373 in the same period last year. The allocation scale for this year is the largest ever at 38,418, a 73% increase compared to 22,200 foreign workers introduced last year. The ministry analyzed this as being due to "the expansion and early allocation of foreign worker quotas this year, as well as the operation of a joint support system with related ministries and affiliated organizations."

Domestic labor also increased by 15%. The government supplied about 100,000 person-times through rural manpower brokerage centers in the first quarter of this year. The number of person-times in the same period last year was 87,000. The government expanded the number of rural manpower brokerage centers from 154 last year to 170 this year, collaborated with the Ministry of Employment and Labor to promote the inflow of idle urban labor through city and county employment support institutions, and strengthened public sector manpower brokerage by providing customized job information through the urban-rural manpower brokerage platform.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, in consultation with the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Justice, advanced the allocation period for foreign workers from December of the previous year to February of the current year to October to December of the previous year. This is also the reason for the significant increase in the number of foreign workers this time. The ministry is cooperating with the Ministry of Justice to ensure visa issuance for the swift entry of foreign workers. Starting this year, through NongHyup, the ministry is supporting the issuance of documents related to the introduction of foreign seasonal workers in cities and counties, as well as providing education on farming and adapting to life in Korea after their arrival.

Looking ahead to the full-scale farming season, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to monitor manpower supply and demand through a dedicated task force (TF) linked with local governments and NongHyup, and respond promptly by connecting volunteers and available manpower from neighboring cities and counties in case of labor shortages.

Park Su-jin, Director of Agricultural Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, “We expect that the significant expansion of public sector manpower supply this year will help stabilize wages for agricultural workers,” and added, “We will closely cooperate with related ministries, local governments, and NongHyup to ensure that agricultural production during the busy farming season proceeds without disruption.”

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