100 foreign maids from Southeast Asia to work in Seoul this year

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Sun, December 3, 2023 | 20:42

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100 foreign maids from Southeast Asia to work in Seoul this year

Posted : 2023-07-31 17:00

Updated : 2023-08-01 15:22

Young working parents, policy experts and industry insiders discuss introducing a foreign nanny system to Korea during the Ministry of Employment and Labor's public hearing on the policy at a hotel in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

By Lee Hae-rin

Around 100 foreign housekeepers from Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, will be able to work in Korea during the second half of this year as part of the government's pilot program to tackle a shortage of maids here, the labor ministry said Monday.

The plan, which comes amid a gradual population decline in Korea caused by a low birth rate, was unveiled during a public hearing on the proposal to import foreign maids, held by the Ministry of Employment and Labor at a hotel in Seoul, Monday. The hearing was attended by policy experts, industry insiders and young working parents.

Under the pilot program, the ministry will allow 100 foreign housekeepers to enter Korea on E-9 visas and let them work for a minimum of six months in Seoul as full-time or part-time maids for working parents, single-parent families or households with expecting mothers. E-9 visas are non-professional employment visas.

The foreign workers will likely be paid at least the nation's legal minimum wage and commute to employers' houses from dormitories operated by state-authorized employment agencies.

The ministry stressed the need to bring foreign labor into childcare services, citing Korea's aging and dwindling childcare workforce, where 92.3 percent is over 50, while the number of new employees is on a steady decline.

Housekeepers from 16 countries are eligible for employment in Korea via E-9 visas, but countries that are issuing licenses for domestic workers, such as the Philippines, will be prioritized in the selection.

The government will screen the backgrounds of candidates, such as their careers, criminal records and medical history, and Korean- and English-language skills. Those with criminal records, mental health or drug-abuse problems will be screened out.

The selected workers will receive training in the Korean language, culture and labor laws before and after entering the country and they will also be educated about Korea's child abuse prevention, safety and hygiene regulations.

Under the plan, they will be paid Korea's minimum wage, which is now at 9,620 won ($7.55) per hour, meaning that they will earn 2 million won per month.

The ministry expects the system to ease the economic burden of working parents, as Korean helpers receive over 15,000 won per hour in case they commute, while those who live with their employers are paid 3.5 to 4.5 million won per month, according to the ministry.

The workers will reside at a dormitory run by state-authorized employment agencies. They will need to pay for their own accommodations, but can receive the Seoul Metropolitan Government's settlement support money to cover the initial costs of living, transportation and translation services.

The ministry plans to strengthen the pilot project by September based on opinions gathered during the hearing and start running the service sometime in the latter half of this year. Then, the government will map out a longer-term picture of the policy based on the result of the trial operation.

Meanwhile, the announcement triggered debate among proponents and opponents of the system.

Civic activists hold banners to protest introducing foreign nannies during the labor ministry's public hearing in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

A working mother surnamed Kang, who took part in the public hearing, underscored that childcare service consumers like herself are wary of the high quality of service provided by experienced, middle-aged local housekeepers and questioned whether foreign nannies will have the same level of professional skills as their Korean counterparts.

"Most concerning is the cultural difference, because it is questionable if they can adapt to Korean culture after taking one or two classes," another working mother surnamed Kim, who is raising three-year-old twins, said at the hearing.

On the other hand, Lee Bong-jae, the vice president of Korean domestic help matching service, Daerijubu, pointed out that the local demand for childcare services is growing, while its workforce is aging and on the decline. According to a recent survey by his company, over 150 people said they plan to employ foreign nannies if it becomes possible.

Meanwhile, members of the Korean Public and Transport Workers' Union (KPTU) also attended the public hearing and protested the pilot project. The group accused the plan of being tantamount to "modern day slavery" and raised concerns over possible human rights abuses against migrant workers.

lhr@koreatimes.co.kr