Nearly half of foreign workers in South Korea were employed in the mining and manufacturing industries last year, according to data released by Statistics Korea on Tuesday.
The report revealed that out of 1.56 million foreign residents in the country, 64.7% had jobs, while 31.4% were economically inactive, and 3.9% were unemployed. Among those employed, 45.6% worked in the mining and manufacturing sectors, while 18.9% were engaged in wholesale, retail, and restaurant businesses, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.
Other employment sectors for foreign workers included private businesses and public services (14%), construction (10.6%), and agriculture and fisheries (8.3%).
Wages and Visa Categories
The data also provided insights into the earnings of foreign workers in South Korea. More than 51% of foreign workers earned a monthly wage between 2 million won (USD 1,382) and 3 million won, while 37.1% made over 3 million won per month.
Regarding visa types, 19.4% of foreign residents were in the country on non-professional employment visas, while 12.8% were student visa holders. Additionally, 9% held permanent residency, and 7.8% were married to Korean citizens.
Challenges and Government Response
The study also measured the happiness level of foreign residents, with an average score of 4.3 out of 5. However, 17.4% of foreign workers reported experiencing discrimination, with 27.7% of foreign students stating that they had faced such issues.
To address labor shortages in depopulating regions, the Ministry of Justice announced new policies to attract more foreign workers. The government plans to expand eligibility for region-specific visas and ease issuance requirements. Currently, these visas are limited to 89 regions, but 18 additional areas facing population decline will now be included, bringing the total to 107 regions.
Additionally, the ministry will introduce a new region-specific skilled worker (E-7-4R) visa with more flexible stay periods and qualification requirements. Foreigners who have stayed in South Korea for more than two years on non-professional employment (E-9) visas or maritime crew (E-10) visas will be allowed to transition to this new category, provided they meet skill-based criteria.
These measures aim to address labor shortages and provide more stable opportunities for foreign workers in South Korea.
