[Nationwide Radar] 10 years of foreign seasonal workers, a 'lifeline' for rural labor shortages... side effects also emerging

The "foreign seasonal workers program" introduced to address the labor shortage due to the aging population and declining population in rural areas has marked its 10th year since its nationwide expansion. In Goheung County, Jeollanam-do, a case of wage exploitation and human rights violations of foreign seasonal workers occurred in April, leading to the criminal indictment of employers and brokers. The Ministry of Employment and Labor conducted a special labor inspection at two sites, including a goby farm in Goheung County, resulting in the discovery of unpaid wages totaling 31,770 million won for a total of 26 foreign seasonal workers. (National Comprehensive = Yonhap News) The "foreign seasonal workers program" introduced to address the labor shortage due to the aging population and declining population in rural areas has marked its 10th year since its nationwide expansion. Unlike the employment permit system that requires a minimum three-year stay, this program allows for the employment of foreigners for a short period during specific seasons, such as the farming season, in agricultural and fishing sites, which has made it particularly popular. This program began as a pilot project in the cabbage industry in Goesan County, Chungbuk, in 2015, went through an expanded pilot project, and has been implemented nationwide since 2017. As the number of people allocated nationwide each year increases, while there are positive effects such as providing great support to farms, there have also been side effects such as human rights violations and illegal broker involvement, leading to calls for the government and local governments to establish a system to ensure the effectiveness of the program. [Yonhap News File Photo] ◇ Foreign seasonal workers, a 'drizzle' for labor-deficient rural areas due to aging According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on the 12th, the number of foreign seasonal workers allocated for the first half of this year was 93,503, the largest ever. "Public-type seasonal labor" in which agricultural cooperatives employ these workers and supply them to small farms has increased dramatically from 91 sites and 3,673 people last year to 142 sites and 5,395 people this year. For farms where labor is increasingly scarce, these workers have become a necessary workforce rather than a choice. In fact, according to the Korea Rural Economic Institute, the number of farm households this year is 1,945,000, which has fallen below 1 million for the first time in history. The proportion of farm households aged 65 and over is expected to rise to 56.6% this year from 56.0% last year.

The "foreign seasonal worker program" introduced to address the labor shortage due to the aging population and declining population in rural areas has marked its 10th year since its nationwide expansion. In April, in Goheung County, Jeollanam-do, a case of wage exploitation and human rights violations of foreign seasonal workers occurred, leading to the criminal prosecution of employers and brokers. The Ministry of Employment and Labor conducted a special labor inspection at two workplaces, oyster farms in Goheung County, resulting in the discovery of unpaid wages totaling 31,700,000 won for 26 foreign seasonal workers. The program, which allows for the short-term employment of foreigners during specific seasons such as the farming season, unlike the employment permit system that requires a minimum three-year stay, has been particularly well-received. It began as a pilot program in the cabbage industry in Goesan County, Chungcheongbuk-do in 2015, expanded to a pilot demonstration ...