South Korea extends stay for seasonal migrant workers

Vietnamese workers complete immigration procedures at Incheon airport, South Korea

According to Yonhap news agency, in a joint announcement on May 30, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of South Korea said the government will revise an enforcement decree to extend the validity of work visas by three months, valid once. The revised enforcement decree applies to seasonal workers currently working in Korea as well as foreign workers who have recently arrived in Korea.

Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon pledged to soon revise the law to extend the stay period for seasonal migrant workers, while stepping up efforts to address difficulties faced by local farmers and fishermen.

As incomes and living standards have steadily increased since the 1980s, South Korea has faced a labor shortage, especially in the manufacturing sector. This is because South Koreans have begun to avoid manual, difficult, and dangerous jobs. Therefore, the government has taken measures to attract immigrant workers through programs such as trainees in 1993 and work visas in 2003. However, the labor shortage has not shown any signs of improvement, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises, while many new problems continue to arise.

According to VNA