The number of foreign workers to be deployed in agriculture next year is expected to reach 102,000.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on the 28th that, in consultation with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL), it plans to expand the supply of foreign workers in agriculture next year to a record-high 102,000.
The number of seasonal foreign workers to be assigned to farms in the first half of next year is 87,375, up about 43% from the first half of this year. The number of farms participating in public seasonal work is 130, up by 40 from last year, and a total of 4,729 workers will be brought in. The number of foreign workers with employment permits will be assigned at 10,000, the same as last year.
The agriculture ministry also plans to allocate additional seasonal foreign workers in the second half by reflecting farm demand.
From next year, grain and other food crop cultivation, which had been excluded from the allocation of foreign workers with employment permits, will also be eligible. In addition, the minimum cultivation area requirement for employment permits in facility horticulture and specialty crops such as lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes will be eased. As a result, small farms of 1,000–2,000㎡ will be able to employ foreign workers for at least three years and up to four years and eight months.