A migrant laborer from Cambodia works on a farm in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province. / Korea Times file

By Kim Hyun-bin

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has increased the allocation of foreign workers in the agricultural sector this year from 8,200 to 9,430, according to Foreign Workforce Policy Committee, Wednesday.

The move comes as Korea has been struggling to retain foreign workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit rural areas hard with a growing number of foreign workers, who have become the backbone of Korea's agriculture and fisheries industries, returning to their home countries.

In addition, the number of foreign workers small and medium sized farms are allowed to hire will also be increased. The total employment allowance for farms in the bottom 67 percent will allow the hire of two more workers each.

As the entry conditions have improved this year, the number of foreign workers entering the country has increased rapidly. As of the end of July, 5,415 people entered the country and the total number employed is 20,073.

This is a 13 percent increase compared to 2021, amid heavy COVID-19 restrictions, and a 17 percent decrease compared to 2019, before the pandemic. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs expects that the number of foreign workers will increase mainly in the livestock and horticulture sectors.

The additionally allocated personnel will be allowed to submit an application to the farmer in September through the local employment center, while a work permit is scheduled to be issued in October.

"This measure is expected to have a significant effect on alleviating the job shortage as it has alleviated some of the difficulties related to the employment of foreign workers that have been raised by farmers and others through consultations with related ministries," said Park Soo-jin, director of the Agricultural Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. "We will continue to discuss ways to improve the system for the stable introduction of seasonal workers through relevant ministries."