Kim Chang-sin, the CEO of Sinabro Co., who runs an oriental vegetable farm in Jangseong County, Jeollanam-do, said that the escape of two out of the three Thai seasonal workers hired in May has disrupted all of this year's planned businesses. The escape of the seasonal workers resulted in a loss of about 8 million won, and considering the canceled projects this year, damages are expected to total about 15 million won.
One female seasonal worker escaped with the help of her husband, who had come to Korea earlier, less than a month after arriving in Korea. Another male worker fled during the night with 13 other seasonal workers who entered Jangseong County together. Kim noted, "It seems these individuals entered the country with the intention of escaping from the beginning by obtaining a seasonal worker visa."
As the United States strengthens investigations into forced labor conditions in Asia, including Korea, concerns are rising that inadequate foreign labor management could threaten exports of Korean products and agricultural products. Foreign workers are easily exposed to the temptations of illegal work.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can ban the import of products if they confirm violations of the 11 indicators of forced labor defined by the International Labor Organization, including ▲exploitation of vulnerabilities ▲fraud ▲restriction of movement ▲seizure of identification ▲harsh living and working conditions ▲intimidation and threats ▲physical violence ▲debt bondage ▲refusal to pay wages ▲excessive overtime ▲isolation. Such forced labor often occurs among workers who are working illegally.
The foreign seasonal worker (E-8 visa) system is a great help to farmers during busy farming seasons; however, it also serves as a gateway that produces illegal stayers. Due to short contract periods and wages lower than those in manufacturing, they are seeking other jobs once they enter as seasonal workers. Many seasonal workers incur debt to brokers during the entry process, and the necessity to quickly repay this debt is one of the reasons why foreigners choose the path of illegal residency. Typically, the money borrowed from brokers comes with annual interest rates of dozens of percent.
Foreign non-professional workers (E-9 visa) can stay for 4 years and 10 months. If they return to their home country for six months, they can extend their stay once more, allowing them to work in Korea for up to 9 years and 8 months. In contrast, seasonal workers cannot extend their stay. From the perspective of foreigners in need of money, once they have entered Korea with difficulty, they find themselves in a situation where they need to earn more money, even if it means staying illegally.
Seasonal workers are tempted to stay illegally because their wages are relatively low, and working hours are irregular. Most foreign seasonal workers nationwide work 35 hours a week at the minimum wage (10,030 won this year), receiving about 1.4 million to 1.5 million won per month. Foreign workers in manufacturing also receive the minimum wage but often work longer hours and can earn additional pay through weekend overtime, leading to monthly earnings around 3 million won.
An official at a foreign support center in Jeollanam-do said, "Farmers may work five days a week or six days a week depending on weather and on-site conditions, and days off and working days are not clearly defined. When there is no work, foreigners must rest in their accommodations, but those eager to earn money are bound to be dissatisfied."
Even when caught during operations against illegal stayers, the penalties are minimal. Fines of up to 30 million won can be imposed depending on the period of illegal stay, but those who voluntarily leave during the 'special voluntary departure period,' which is operated irregularly by the Ministry of Justice, can be exempt from fines. Kim Chang-sin said, "There are many tasks in rural areas that illegal residents can do, so the temptation to escape is considerable."
Foreign seasonal workers often receive help from brokers not only when entering the country but also when escaping from assigned farms. Kim Yong-guk, director of the Yongin City Foreign Welfare Center, said, "It is often the case that seasonal workers cannot repay the broker fees after only working for a few months, leading them to escape from their work locations."
As cases of the foreign seasonal worker system being exploited as a means of illegal stay increase, it is only the innocent farms that are suffering damages. In the case of Jangseong County, it is reported that officials from the Royal Thai Embassy in South Korea only advised them to report the incident to the police and file a lawsuit.
Kim stated, "Foreign seasonal workers know all the addresses of their employers, so there are many cases where they cannot report out of fear of retaliation. If they want to find workers again, they have to spend more time and expense, leading to significant damage."
☞ Related articles
[Management blind spot in foreign labor]
https://biz.chosun.com/tag/foreign-worker/