Foreign students wait to enter at the Job Fair for International Students in Busan 2023: Regionally Specialized Recruitment Targeted at International Students, which was held at the Busan Port International Exhibition and Convention Center (BPEX) in Dong-gu, Busan, on July 20. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Korea Bizwire) -- The South Korean government has decided to substantially increase the number of foreign workers at industrial sites and in rural areas this year, in response to the population crisis and labor shortage.
The government is also considering the introduction of long-term employment incentives to encourage skill development among foreign workers and is planning to provide benefits such as relaxed family invitation requirements for outstanding talent in science and technology.
According to the ’2024 Economic Policy Direction’ released by the government, over 260,000 foreign workers are expected to enter sectors facing labor shortages, including industry, agriculture, and fisheries. This figure represents an increase of nearly 100,000 compared to the 172,000 foreign workers who came to South Korea last year.
To facilitate the smooth employment of international students, the government will extend the post-graduation job-seeking visa period to a maximum of three years. Additionally, the government plans to relax visa regulations, expanding the fields allowed for employment beyond office and professional jobs to various industrial sectors experiencing severe labor shortages.
The government is particularly focused on attracting top talent in advanced science and technology fields to the industrial workforce. Plans are underway to expand the selection of government-invited science and engineering talent by the first half of this year and to develop improved schemes for permanent residency and naturalization for these workers.
For high-skilled science and technology personnel, requirements for spouse employment and family invitations will also be relaxed.
To ensure a stable working environment for foreign workers, the government is planning to introduce measures such as long-term employment exceptions for non-professional workers and incentives to encourage long-term employment of skilled workers.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
