A pilot project will be launched in South Korea with the aim of promoting birth rates and increasing women’s participation in the labor market
The South Korean government said in a statement that the age of foreign domestic workers and nannies will not be below 24 years. An in-depth background check will also be conducted on them. The South Korean authorities will also evaluate the migrant workers’ previous work experience, acquired knowledge and language skills.
Foreign migrant workers will be employed through reliable employment agencies, which will also monitor and review the pilot project.
Along with the rising cost of living and extensive career opportunities, childcare challenges and the burden of household chores have long been cited as contributing factors to South Korea’s declining marriage and birthrate. According to a report released this week by the South Korean government,
more than half of the unmarried citizens aged 19 to 34 would not want children even in marriage.
On the other hand, only 36.4% of the respondents surveyed in the study rated their attitude towards marriage as positive. Both groups of respondents cited difficulties related to the economic situation in the country as determining factors in their answers.
As the news agency “Reuters” reports, these trends are exacerbating South Korea’s demographic crisis, as the country’s population of working age is decreasing. This, in turn, causes headaches for the national economy.
South Korea has long struggled with chronic labor shortages in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors.
The lack of local labor is also observed in the fields of child care and housekeeping. The number of workers employed in these industries is constantly decreasing, while data from the Ministry of Employment of South Korea show that the absolute majority of those employed in the industry are over 50 years old.
Under South Korean law, only foreign nationals who have received South Korean permanent residence permits and those who are ethnic Koreans are allowed to work in the domestic and childcare industries. Last year, Seoul Mayor Oh Sehun proposed that the government help reduce the burden of childcare and housework on young couples and parents by launching a pilot project.
Speaking to the government, he cited Asian cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore, where foreign domestic workers and nannies are an essential part of the social and economic fabric. According to Seoul’s mayor, in these cities, “women’s participation in economic activities has shown a clear upward trend.”
When the South Korean government announced its support for the pilot project, no information was provided about the foreign workers’ planned wages, maximum working hours, overtime policy, vacation pay and weekly holidays.
Meanwhile, Doctor of Laws, Professor of the Faculty of Law of Kyung Hee University of Korea, Song Serjun noted the problems of a different nature that could be encountered when implementing the pilot project: “Unfortunately, there have been cases of cruel treatment of migrant workers in Korea. There are also issues of potential human rights violations related to migrant workers. . I think that in the implementation of this pilot project, it is important what trainings, what programs and also what means we will use if big problems arise.”
It should be mentioned that South Korea has already started negotiations with the Philippines, which could potentially participate in the pilot project and send its nationals to fill vacancies for housekeepers and nannies.
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2023-09-02 15:38:07
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