On May 29, with daytime temperatures reaching as high as 28 degrees Celsius, foreign seasonal workers and Korean farmers are seen bagging garlic at a garlic farm in Daeji-myeon, Changnyeong County, Gyeongsangnam-do. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea will admit 130,000 foreign workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) in 2025, a 21% reduction from this year’s 165,000 quota, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
The decision reflects changing labor demand due to economic shifts and increased reliance on alternative visa programs, such as E-7 and E-8.
The EPS allows businesses unable to hire domestic workers to employ foreign nationals with E-9 visas, typically for low-skilled positions.
While quotas surged during the past two years to address labor shortages exacerbated by the pandemic, actual hiring has lagged. This year’s admissions are expected to reach only 80,000, about half the allocated quota.
Labor officials cited overestimated demand, particularly in new industries like services, and adjustments to accommodate factors like GDP growth and returning workers’ replacements.
The 2025 quota comprises 98,000 industry-specific allocations—72,000 for manufacturing and 10,000 for agriculture—and a flexible pool of 32,000 to address unforeseen needs.
The government has also implemented measures to streamline foreign worker utilization, including shortening the domestic recruitment period for businesses and broadening eligibility for employment permits in regional industries. Efforts to enhance worker safety and equal treatment remain a priority.
Vice Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Min-seok stated, “We’ve calibrated the quota to match demand and included a robust flexible allocation to prevent workforce shortages amidst unforeseen changes.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
