Migrant worker rights organizations have urged the government to implement robust measures to address the persistent issue of unpaid wages. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea plans to exempt short-term foreign agricultural and fisheries workers from mandatory long-term care insurance contributions, in a move aimed at easing labor costs in rural communities struggling with chronic worker shortages.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday it has proposed a revision to the enforcement decree of the Long-Term Care Insurance Act. The amendment would exclude foreign nationals holding E-8 seasonal work visas from mandatory enrollment in the public long-term care insurance program.
Under current rules, foreign workers who qualify as workplace subscribers under the National Health Insurance system are automatically enrolled in the long-term care insurance scheme and required to pay premiums.
But because seasonal workers typically remain in the country for brief periods and are unlikely to access elderly care services, the ministry said the obligation imposes an unnecessary financial burden.
The proposed change is expected to reduce costs for both foreign laborers and the farmers and fisheries operators who employ them. The seasonal worker program was introduced to address acute labor shortages in rural areas, where aging populations and declining birthrates have made it increasingly difficult to secure manpower during peak harvest periods.
A Vietnamese worker at a tangerine farm (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The government also moved to clarify discrepancies between existing regulations and immigration law. A previously vague reference in the enforcement decree to foreign nationals engaged in “industrial training” has been revised to specify those holding D-3 technical training visas, aligning the language with the Immigration Control Act and reducing administrative confusion.
If finalized, the revised decree will take effect immediately upon promulgation. To prevent disruption in the field, however, the exemption will apply only to foreign nationals newly granted E-8 seasonal work status after the rule comes into force.
Officials said the measure, though limited in scope, is intended to provide practical relief to rural economies grappling with demographic decline and labor shortages, and pledged to continue reviewing regulations to address inefficiencies.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
