"I think it's necessary to crack down on illegal immigrants due to concerns about their crime, but if illegal immigrants disappear, farms won't be able to operate. We can't even determine how many illegal immigrants are in this village. We should assume that all farms generating revenue are employing illegal immigrants."
To address the labor shortage during the busy farming season, local governments across the country are hiring hundreds to thousands of foreign seasonal workers; however, many rural areas still rely on illegal immigrants. The reason farms hire illegal immigrants is that they either haven't received seasonal workers or prefer workers who are quicker.
Seasonal workers work for 5 to 8 months and then leave, and it is rare for a worker who worked last year to return. In contrast, illegal immigrants often stay in Korea for a long time, making them familiar with the work. As more farms seek illegal immigrants, there is a saying in rural areas that illegal immigrants are in a dominant position.
A farm owner met in Jangseong County, Jeollanam-do, said, "There are a lot of illegal immigrants in this area. I know that hiring illegal immigrants is illegal, but if I check their status one by one, I won't be able to get any work done." He stated that whenever he needs labor, he contacts a labor office to hire illegal immigrants or goes directly to nearby areas with dense illegal immigrant populations to find people.
Farmers in Changnyeong County protested in front of the Gyeongnam Provincial Office, saying, "Postpone the arrests of illegal immigrants," when a crackdown on illegal immigrants took place in May. Changnyeong County, primarily producing garlic and onions, is in its harvest season from May, which requires a large workforce. This resulted in significant disruptions to work when hundreds of illegal immigrants were apprehended.
Sung Bok-kyung, head of the Saemaul Council in Daeji-myeon, Changnyeong County, said, "Timely cutting of garlic shoots is essential for larger bulbs, but due to a lack of labor, we couldn't do the work on time, causing a significant decline in quality, making farmers shed tears. Rumors circulate that crackdowns are happening, and if even one person is caught, illegal immigrants disappear in an instant."
He added, "The sowing season starts in September, and everyone is greatly concerned about the lack of labor," and noted, "For about 10,000 pyeong (33,000㎡) of farmland, we need as many as 30 workers daily for 3 to 4 days during this period."
As the demand for illegal immigrants increases, wages are also rising. A representative from Changnyeong County Office stated, "During peak labor demand periods, such as harvest or sowing times, they can make a basic daily wage of 150,000 won. Those working from dawn to dusk can earn up to 200,000 won a day," and added, "As many workers in agriculture are older Koreans, many farms prefer younger illegal immigrants." The daily wage for younger illegal immigrants is higher than that of older Koreans.
Sung also said, "The daily wage is about 120,000 to 150,000 won, but if the weather is bad, we may have to pay up to 180,000 won," and added, "Knowing that they are essential, we have no choice but to meet their demands."
There are calls to supplement and expand the foreign seasonal worker system to reduce reliance on illegal immigrants. A farm owner in Jangseong County remarked, "Even if illegal immigrants keep raising their wages, there is no immediate labor, so we could only meet their demands. However, with the arrival of foreign seasonal workers, wages have slightly decreased."
Sung noted, "Although we have requested seasonal workers from Laos, even if they come, the labor costs are substantial," and stated, "During the farming season, we need to stop cracking down on illegal immigrants and alleviate the burden of hiring seasonal workers."
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