🚨 Seasonal Worker Program

Today Korean Social News for Beginners | 2025.12.31

0️⃣ Solving Rural Labor Shortages Through Marriage Migrant Family Invitations

📌 Gyeongju City Creates Model Case with Marriage Migrant Family 'Seasonal Worker' Program to Solve Rural Labor Shortage

💬 Gyeongju City is using the Ministry of Justice's seasonal worker program to invite families of marriage migrants for nationwide foreign worker recruitment. This program eases labor shortages during busy farming seasons while helping marriage migrant families earn income and reunite with family members. Gyeongju City excludes private brokers and partners with international NGOs to systematically manage worker selection, training, housing, and translation services. This stable system minimizes illegal overstays and receives national attention. The program is praised for using verified workers through marriage migrant family connections and implementing fair, transparent operations through NGO cooperation. It is recognized as a practical model for solving structural problems caused by rural aging and population decline.

💡 Summary

• The seasonal worker program employs foreigners short-term to solve labor shortages during busy farming seasons.
• Gyeongju City secures reliable workers through marriage migrant family invitation method.
• NGO cooperation achieves broker exclusion, transparent operations, and minimized illegal stays.

1️⃣ Definition

Seasonal Worker Program is a system that allows legal short-term employment (3-8 months) of foreign workers in industries like agriculture and fishing that have increased labor demand during specific seasons. It is based on Article 18-4 of the Immigration Control Act and related regulations, beginning with pilot projects in 2015.

The key feature is that local governments directly invite and manage foreign workers. Unlike the general Employment Permit System (E-9 visa), seasonal workers enter with Short-term Employment (C-4) or Seasonal Work (E-8) status and can only work in specific regions and time periods. Gyeongju City uses this program by prioritizing invitations to families within 4 degrees of kinship of marriage migrants, increasing reliability, and partnering with international NGOs to build a systematic management system.

💡 Why is this important?

• It can solve chronic labor shortages caused by rural aging and population decline.
• It provides opportunities for marriage migrants to reunite with family, supporting multicultural family stability.
• Transparent and fair program operations can prevent illegal stays and human rights issues.
• It directly contributes to maintaining regional agricultural productivity and farm income stability.

2️⃣ Current Status and Operation of Seasonal Worker Program

📕 Background and Necessity of Program Introduction

• Rural structural labor shortage is intensifying. Main background includes:

  • Rural population aging is rapidly progressing, with many areas having over 50% of residents aged 65 and above.
  • Rural labor continues to decrease as young people move to cities.
  • During busy farming seasons (planting, harvesting), intensive labor demand occurs in short periods.
  • Domestic labor alone cannot meet busy season demand, making foreign workers essential.

• Existing foreign employment systems had limitations. Main problems include:

  • The Employment Permit System (E-9) assumes long-term stay and doesn't fit short-term seasonal demand.
  • Illegal employment through private brokers was widespread, causing human rights violations and illegal stay problems.
  • Individual farms had difficulty employing foreigners, lacking systematic management.
  • The government began pilot operations of local government-led seasonal worker program from 2015.

📕 Gyeongju City's Differentiated Operation Model

• They adopted a marriage migrant family invitation method. Main features include:

  • They prioritize inviting families within 4 degrees of kinship of marriage migrants residing domestically, strengthening identity verification.
  • Family relationships create high responsibility and low risk of illegal stays.
  • Marriage migrants serve as translators and life support, enabling smooth communication and adaptation.
  • Providing family reunion opportunities also contributes to emotional stability of multicultural families.

• They systematically manage through international NGO cooperation. Main operation methods include:

  • NGOs select workers locally and conduct pre-entry training.
  • They provide pre-training on Korean culture, farming techniques, and safety to improve adaptation.
  • Even after entry, NGOs handle housing management, translation support, and civil complaint counseling.
  • They completely block private broker involvement to achieve fair and transparent operations.

📕 Program Achievements and Limitations

• It contributed to solving farm labor shortages and regional economic revitalization. Main achievements include:

  • Gyeongju City stably supplies hundreds of seasonal workers annually.
  • Busy season labor shortages are resolved, enabling timely planting and harvesting.
  • Farm income increased and productivity improved, revitalizing the regional economy.
  • Very low illegal stay rates earn recognition as a model case for local governments nationwide.

• Challenges still remain to be solved. Main limitations include:

  • Seasonal workers alone cannot meet year-round labor demand, requiring additional measures.
  • Local governments face large financial burdens to expand living infrastructure like housing, transportation, and medical care.
  • Some regions still have illegal employment through private brokers.
  • Continuous management and supervision are needed to protect worker rights and improve treatment.

💡 Key Issues in Seasonal Worker Program

1. Short-term nature: 3-8 month short-term employment makes meeting year-round labor demand difficult
2. Regional gaps: Performance differences occur based on local government capacity and financial conditions
3. Infrastructure burden: Costs of expanding living support infrastructure like housing, transportation, and medical care
4. Illegal stay risk: Broker involvement and illegal stays still occur in some regions
5. Human rights protection: Continuous supervision needed for working conditions, wage payment, safety management

3️⃣ Program Expansion and Improvement Plans

✅ National Expansion of Gyeongju Model

• The marriage migrant family invitation method should be expanded. Main directions include:

  • Other local governments should also adopt the marriage migrant family-centered labor supply model.
  • Securing verified and responsible workers can minimize illegal stays.
  • Using marriage migrants as translation and life support personnel should improve efficiency.
  • Positive effects can be expected for multicultural family reunions and emotional stability.

• The international NGO cooperation model should be standardized. Main tasks include:

  • Government and local governments should cooperate to clarify NGO selection criteria and operation guidelines.
  • Standard procedures should be established for each stage: local selection, pre-training, life support, etc.
  • Incentives should be provided to excellent NGOs to encourage active participation.
  • Crackdowns and penalties should be strengthened to eliminate illegal broker involvement.

✅ Strengthening Infrastructure and Support Systems

• Living infrastructure should be expanded. Main measures include:

  • Expanding dedicated housing for seasonal workers and providing comfortable living environments.
  • Medical services, transportation convenience, and communication support should be provided.
  • Cost burden can be distributed through joint infrastructure construction among local governments.
  • Central government should support infrastructure construction costs to reduce local government financial burden.

• Worker protection and rights guarantee should be strengthened. Main directions include:

  • Proper wages above minimum wage should be paid and wage arrears prevented.
  • Employment contracts should be mandatory and channels for reporting unfair treatment should be established.
  • Industrial accident insurance should be mandatory to prepare for work accidents.
  • Regular labor inspections should prevent human rights violations and unfair treatment.

✅ Long-term Rural Labor Measures

• Comprehensive measures beyond seasonal worker program are needed. Main tasks include:
  • Youth return-to-farming support should be expanded to increase domestic agricultural workers.
  • Labor demand itself should be reduced through technological innovation like smart farms and automation machinery.
  • Year-round stable labor should be secured by linking with long-term foreign worker systems.
  • Regional community-centered labor sharing systems should be built to improve efficiency.

4️⃣ Related Terms Explained

🔎 Immigration Control Act

• The Immigration Control Act is legislation regulating foreign entry and stay.
  • The Immigration Control Act is legislation that regulates qualifications, periods, and conditions for foreigners entering or staying in the Republic of Korea. Enacted in 1963, it covers overall matters including foreign immigration management, stay qualification grants, and forced deportation. The seasonal worker program operates based on Article 18-4 of this law and related regulations.
  • Main content related to seasonal workers includes: First, local government heads can invite foreigners with Ministry of Justice approval. Second, they can stay for 3-8 months with Short-term Employment (C-4) or Seasonal Work (E-8) status. Third, they can only work in specific regions and industries and cannot move to other regions. Fourth, they must leave after stay period ends, and extensions are generally not allowed.
  • Violations result in sanctions including forced deportation, entry bans, and fines. Local governments and farms have obligations to manage workers to prevent illegal stays, and workers themselves must comply with stay periods. The Immigration Control Act is the legal foundation guaranteeing legal and orderly foreign employment.

🔎 Employment Permit System for Foreigners

• The Employment Permit System for Foreigners is a long-term employment system to solve small business labor shortages.
  • The Employment Permit System for Foreigners was introduced in 2004, allowing small businesses that cannot find workers despite domestic recruitment efforts to legally employ foreigners. They enter with E-9 visa (non-professional employment) and can stay up to 5 years: 3 years initially with one 2-year extension possible.
  • Differences between Employment Permit System and seasonal worker program include: First, Employment Permit System is long-term (up to 5 years), seasonal workers are short-term (3-8 months). Second, Employment Permit System covers all industries including manufacturing, construction, and farming, seasonal workers are limited to agriculture and fishing. Third, Employment Permit System involves individual company hiring, seasonal workers involve local government group invitation. Fourth, Employment Permit System allows employer changes, seasonal workers are fixed to assigned regions/farms.
  • Rural areas use both seasonal workers and Employment Permit System together. Large farms needing year-round labor prefer the Employment Permit System, while small farms needing short-term labor only during busy seasons prefer seasonal workers. Properly combining both systems is important for solving rural labor shortages.

🔎 Multicultural Family Support

• Multicultural family support is policy helping marriage migrants and their families settle stably.
  • Multicultural family support policy is a comprehensive support system helping marriage migrants, their spouses, and children settle stably in Korean society and lead family lives. Based on the Multicultural Family Support Act (enacted 2008), it provides Korean language education, childcare support, and employment support through multicultural family support centers nationwide.
  • The connection between seasonal worker program and multicultural family support provides family reunion opportunities and helps emotional stability by inviting marriage migrant families. Marriage migrants can earn income while serving as translators and life support providers. It also enables reliable labor supply based on family relationships.
  • Main support content includes: First, Korean language education and cultural understanding programs are provided. Second, children receive bilingual education and learning support. Third, employment counseling and vocational training are provided. Fourth, comprehensive services including family counseling and legal support are provided. Multicultural family stability also plays an important role in social integration and population decline response.

🔎 Rural Population Decline

• Rural population decline is a serious structural problem in Korean society.
  • Rural population decline is a phenomenon occurring from complex factors including aging, youth migration to cities, and low birth rates. According to Statistics Korea, many rural areas have over 50% population aged 65 and above, with some areas classified as extinction-risk regions.
  • Main causes of population decline include: First, youth leave rural areas because agricultural income is low and unstable. Second, settlement is difficult due to lack of education, medical, and cultural infrastructure. Third, weakened agricultural competitiveness prevents new labor inflow. Fourth, elderly farmer retirement and farmland abandonment increase.
  • Resulting problems include decreased agricultural productivity, rural economic stagnation, and regional community collapse. Particularly, busy season labor shortages make timely planting and harvesting difficult, leading to reduced farm income. The seasonal worker program is a practical alternative to ease these structural problems, but fundamentally, comprehensive measures are needed including youth return-to-farming support, smart farm expansion, and agricultural competitiveness strengthening.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What qualifications are needed to work as a seasonal worker?

A: For marriage migrant family invitation method, you must be family within 4 degrees of kinship of a marriage migrant residing domestically.

• In Gyeongju City's model, priority is given to families within 4 degrees of kinship of marriage migrants legally residing domestically (F-6 visa, etc.). You must submit documents proving family relationships (family relationship certificate, etc.) and participate in the selection process through local NGOs. You must pass identity checks and health examinations, and complete pre-entry training.
• For general seasonal worker applications, you must be a national of a country with which the local government has an agreement, be at least 18 years old, healthy, and have no criminal record. Korean language ability is not mandatory, but basic communication ability is advantageous. You can apply to selection procedures conducted locally by local governments or partner organizations, and if selected, you receive Short-term Employment (C-4) or Seasonal Work (E-8) visa to enter. Stay period is 3-8 months, extensions are generally not allowed, and you must leave after period ends.

Q: What are seasonal workers' wages and working conditions?

A: They receive at least minimum wage and working conditions are protected under Labor Standards Act.

• Seasonal workers are also subject to Korea's Labor Standards Act and must receive at least minimum wage. Based on 2025 minimum wage of 10,030 won per hour, working 8 hours daily means receiving at least 80,240 won. Employment contracts must be signed, specifying wages, working hours, holidays, etc. Weekly holiday pay and overtime pay must also be paid according to law.
• Working conditions include: First, 8 hours daily and 40 hours weekly are legal working hours. Second, additional pay is received for overtime, night, and holiday work. Third, one paid holiday per week is guaranteed. Fourth, industrial accident insurance is mandatory to prepare for work accidents. Fifth, housing and meals are often provided, with costs specified in contracts. Unfair treatment or wage arrears can be reported to Ministry of Employment and Labor or local governments, and complaints can be filed with translation support.

Q: Can the seasonal worker program completely solve rural labor shortages?

A: It can ease short-term labor shortages, but comprehensive measures are needed for fundamental solutions.

• The seasonal worker program is effective in meeting intensive labor demand during busy farming seasons. It greatly helps farms needing many workers during specific periods like planting and harvesting. Systematic operation like Gyeongju City's case enables stable labor supply and minimizes illegal stays. However, seasonal workers can only stay short-term (3-8 months), so there are limitations for farms needing year-round labor.
• For fundamental solutions: First, youth return-to-farming support should be expanded to increase domestic agricultural workers. Second, smart farms and automation machinery should be introduced to reduce labor demand itself. Third, long-term labor should also be secured by linking with Employment Permit System. Fourth, agricultural income and treatment should be improved to make it an attractive job. Fifth, regional community-centered labor sharing systems should be built. While the seasonal worker program is an important alternative, long-term strategies comprehensively solving population decline and aging problems are needed for sustainable rural development.

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