05/06/2023
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 3rd, domestic workers can only be hired by Koreans and Chinese nationals under the law. However, the government's plan is to reduce women's burden of housework and care by hiring foreigners from Southeast Asia with relatively low wages as a countermeasure against low birth rates.
The total fertility rate, which recorded 1.02 in the first quarter of 2019, has been below 1 for 16 consecutive quarters, and the population has been declining for the 41st month. Last year, 17.2% of married women (aged 15-54) had their careers cut off, and among unemployed women, 1,396,771 married women quit their jobs due to marriage, pregnancy/childbirth, child education, and family care. This point is also cited as a reason to introduce foreign housekeepers in a hurry. The fact that the number of domestic domestic helpers has plummeted by 38.7% from 2016 to last year, and that 92.2% are in their 50s or older, is also hastening the introduction of foreign workers.
It is reported that President Yoon Seok-yeol also ordered related ministries to actively consider introducing foreign domestic helpers at a cabinet meeting last month.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor is currently preparing a pilot project to introduce foreign domestic workers for Seoul. It plans to hire a certain number of foreigners first in the second half of this year at the earliest. The plan is to add 'housekeeper' to the non-professional employment visa (E-9) permitted industries that are subject to the employment permit system, such as construction and manufacturing, agriculture and fishery.
News: https://n.news.naver.com/article/014/0005021976?sid=102