This image of a fishing vessel is provided by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
SEOUL, March 29 (Korea Bizwire) — The justice ministry will grant a one-year extension of stay permits for foreign fishing crewmen in South Korea in a bid to ease labor shortage in the fishing industry, officials said Tuesday.
The measure will allow an automatic one-year extension of residence permits for those who are legally staying in the country as qualified foreign vessel crew and whose work permits are to end between April 1 and Dec. 31.
In a related move, foreign crewmen will be allowed to reenter South Korea for employment one month after leaving the country upon the expiration of their previous working permit.
Previously, they were required to stay out of South Korea for three months to reenter the country for employment.
About 950 foreign fishing crewmen are expected to benefit from the measure, the ministry said.
(Yonhap)
