The number of non-professional foreign workers holding E-9 visas in South Korea now exceeds 300,000. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 19 (Korea Bizwire) — A new government survey has revealed that the number of non-professional foreign workers holding E-9 visas in South Korea now exceeds 300,000, with the vast majority employed in the mining and manufacturing industries.
Statistics Korea released its “2024 Survey on Immigration Status and Employment – Foreign Residents by Visa Status” on March 18, providing a detailed breakdown of immigration statistics from last year.
Of the 1.56 million foreigners residing in South Korea last year, 303,000 held non-professional employment visas (E-9), marking the first time this category has surpassed 300,000. Nearly all of these visa holders – 99.7% or 302,000 individuals – were actively employed.
The E-9 visa, issued under the Employment Permit System, allows foreign workers to take non-professional jobs in South Korea. The survey found that 80.5% of these workers were employed in mining and manufacturing, followed by agriculture, forestry, and fishing (14.4%), and construction (3%).
The manufacturing sector also dominated employment among other visa categories, including professional workers (50.5%), marriage immigrants (34.4%), permanent residents (32.7%), and those classified as overseas Koreans (31.3%). In contrast, international students and short-term work visitors were predominantly employed in retail, accommodation, and food services, at 75.9% and 31.4% respectively.
Regarding wages, 51.2% of foreign wage workers earned between 2 and 3 million won monthly, while 37.1% earned more than 3 million won. Most non-professional workers (70.8%), professional workers (50.5%), marriage immigrants (46.6%), and short-term work visitors (44.9%) fell into the 2 to 3 million won bracket. Permanent residents and overseas Koreans were more likely to earn over 3 million won, at 55.2% and 46.1% respectively, while 48.3% of international students earned between 1 and 2 million won.
The survey also assessed Korean language proficiency and life satisfaction among foreign residents. Permanent residents and overseas Koreans demonstrated the highest Korean language skills, scoring 4.3 and 4.2 points respectively on a 5-point scale, while non-professional and professional workers scored 2.8 points. Those with short-term work visas averaged 3.8 points.
Overall life satisfaction averaged 4.3 points, with non-professional workers reporting the highest satisfaction at 4.4 points. Short-term work visitors, international students, and overseas Koreans scored slightly below average at 4.2 points.
Discrimination remains a concern, with 17.4% of foreign residents reporting such experiences. International students faced the highest rates (27.7%), followed by professional workers (23.7%) and marriage immigrants (22.3%). Among non-professional workers, 11.5% reported experiencing discrimination.
While non-professional workers cited Korean language ability as the primary reason for discrimination (44.1%), all other visa categories reported their country of origin as the main factor.
Lee Hyung-il, commissioner of Statistics Korea, expressed hope that the survey results would contribute to the development of effective immigration policies addressing Korea’s demographic, social, and economic challenges.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
