hankyoreh

The Foreign Workforce Policy Committee convenes at the government complex in Seoul on Nov. 27 to determine the 2024 foreign workforce introduction plan. (Kim Hye-yun/The Hankyoreh)

Korea will allow a record 165,000 foreigners to work in the country under the employment permit system in 2024. The range of businesses where they can work will also be expanded to include restaurants, forestry and mining.

Labor circles have voiced criticism of the policy, saying it makes no assurances for the fair treatment of foreign workers and fails to consider the impact on the domestic labor market.

The government convened its Foreign Workforce Policy Committee at the Seoul government complex on Monday to finalize the 2024 plan for the added introduction of foreign labor and its plan to allow new industries under the employment permit system.

The employment permit system issues E-9 visas (non-professional work visas) so that small and medium-sized enterprises facing labor shortages can hire foreign workers. The annual employment quota, which was set at 50,000 to 60,000 until 2022, has increased sharply since the Yoon Suk-yeol administration took office, jumping to 120,000 in 2023 and 165,000 for 2024. This will be the largest number of E-9 visas to be issued in a year since the employment permit system was implemented in 2004.

“As structural factors such as the decline in the productive population remain, the demand for foreign labor [permits] continues, especially in some service industries with a high proportion of vacancies,” the government said in its explanation of the significant expansion of the foreign labor employment quota for 2024.

The distribution of labor by industry shows that the number of foreign workers allowed in the service industry will nearly quintuple from 2,870 in 2023 to 13,000 in 2024.

The industries E-9 holders are allowed to work in will also be expanded to include restaurants, forestry and mining. In the case of restaurants, the process of introducing foreign labor is expected to begin in April 2024 through applications from business owners.

Initially, foreigners will be allowed to work as kitchen assistants in Korean restaurants in 100 cities, counties, and districts (including Sejong and Jeju) across the country, after which the government will consider taking the program nationwide. Until now, the only foreigners allowed to work in restaurants were Chinese (overseas) compatriots or international students.

Forestry and mining companies, which have been unable to recruit Korean workers due to poor working conditions, will also be able to apply for foreign workers from July next year.

“We urge the government to immediately put a halt to this half-hearted, rushed policy that does not consider how the domestic labor market may be impacted, that was put forth without in-depth conversations with the labor community in relevant industries or evaluating improving the existing industries with permits,” the Federation of Korean Trade Unions wrote in a press release.

By Kim Hae-jeong, staff reporter

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