Korean gov’t to add 1 more country to employment permit system list

[Photo by Han Joo-hyung]

The South Korean government plans to discuss a measure that involves expanding the number of countries subject to the employment permit system in 2024 in an effort to ease labor shortages in key industry sectors.

According to sources from the government on Monday, the Ministry of Employment and Labor will hold a meeting with relevant government agencies as early as this week to discuss expanding the list of labor-sourcing countries for the country’s employment permit system to 17 countries from the current 16.

It is highly likely that a neighboring country in Asia will be added to the list.

Officials are also expected to discuss allowing the hotel and condominium industry to hire foreign workers on non-professional employment (E-9) visas

The Korean government has been operating the employment permit system since 2004, allowing small and medium-sized enterprises that struggle to hire local workers to legally employ unskilled foreign workers.

The workers receive E-9 visas and are allowed to work only in industries such as manufacturing, construction, agriculture, fisheries, and construction waste disposal.

The supply of unskilled foreign workers is currently limited to countries designated by the government.