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| Migrant workers stage a rally calling for better working conditions in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, in this December 2018 photo. / Korea Times file |
By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea will ease qualifications for re-entry permits for migrant workers to improve their employment conditions, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Tuesday.
The ministry said the revision to the Act on Employment of Foreign Workers was approved in a Cabinet meeting.
Under the current laws, migrant workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) enter Korea with a contract that initially allows them to work for up to three years, after which they can extend the period by one year and 10 months if their employer agrees.
"Diligent workers" who have maintained stable employment without changing their workplace during their four years and 10 months in Korea could be granted another chance to re-enter the country after a three month period.
The revised bills will shorten the period to one month, in order to minimize the workforce vacuum due to the absence of foreign employees.
Also, migrant workers who change their workplace within the same industry will be able to gain re-entry permits if they meet certain skill-based criteria.
The current system, which prohibits re-entry of foreign laborers who have changed workplaces, has been exploited frequently by employers, forcing workers to endure unfair treatment and abusive practices.
The ministry will also add an exceptional clause to allow re-entry for workers who switched workplaces for reasons not of their own responsibility, such as assault or sexual harassment by employers.
The changed rules will come into effect in about six months.
Lee Young, head of the Foreign Workers' Welfare Center in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, welcomed the eased rules for re-entry permits but pointed out the shortened interval is a completely employer-centered policy.
"One month is way too short for foreign workers who have been staying abroad for over four years to spend time in their homeland with families and prepare for another four years abroad so it seems the only aim is to minimize the inconvenience to employers," Lee told The Korea Times.
He suggested that the government should give foreign workers a three-month period during which they can enter the country at any time freely.
Lee also stated that the revisions may not be enough to bring fundamental changes to the unfair employment system which he described as "modern-day slavery."
"It's unreasonable to classify a 'diligent worker' as one who has worked in the one workplace for four years and 10 months straight. They should come up with other criteria to assess performance other than the period of work," he said.
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