Korea's foreign agriculture workers are getting paid late: Report

Forty percent of the farm and fishery workers who reported paycheck delays between 2020 and July 2024 are foreign nationals, according to a report submitted to Rep. Jeong Hee-yong of the ruling People Power Party on Sept. 24.

Seasonal farm workers pose for a photo with a farm owner and officials from the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, commonly known as Nonghyup. [KIM SEONG-TAE]

Forty percent of farm and fishery workers who reported experiencing frequent paycheck delays between 2020 and July 2024 are foreign nationals, according to a report submitted to Rep. Jeong Hee-yong of the ruling People Power Party on Sept. 24.

Foreigners accounted for just 8.5 percent of those who experienced delayed paychecks across all of Korea's sectors over the period, a discrepancy which has raised concerns about the treatment of international employees in the farm and fishery industries, particularly as their numbers continue to rise.

Out of 8,062 agriculture, fisheries and livestock workers who reported delayed paychecks between 2020 and July 2024, 3,031 were not Korean nationals. These employees were owed a collective 13.36 billion won ($10.06 million), representing 32.4 percent of the total 41.18 billion won in unpaid wages.

Manufacturing employed the highest number of E-9 nonprofessional visa holders out of Korea's industries in the second quarter of this year, agriculture and fisheries and livestock were second and third, respectively, according to the Korea Employment Information Service.

Critics argue that this could severely damage Korea's labor market, especially in rural areas where industries are facing chronic labor shortages. Foreign workers have become a significant part of the workforce in these regions, but recurring reports of wage theft, including non-payment, underpayment and delayed payments, have raised serious concerns that these issues could deter future employees from coming to Korea. This concern came to the forefront earlier this year when the Philippine government temporarily stopped deploying seasonal agricultural workers to the nation following allegations of labor exploitation.

“It is such a shame that foreign workers, whose numbers are increasing in the agricultural, fisheries and livestock sectors, continue to face unfair treatment such as wage theft,” Rep. Jeong said. “The government must strengthen its oversight and supervision to ensure that foreign workers receive fair treatment and improve working conditions in rural areas.”

BY NA SANG-HYEON [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]