Government measures were announced on Nov. 26 to invigorate the seasonal foreign worker program for agriculture and fisheries including diversification of duties for such laborers and improvements to the minimum wage. Shown is such a worker at a vinyl greenhouse in Imsil-gun County, Jeollabuk-do Province. (Imsil-gun County)

By Yoon Sojung

The seasonal foreign worker program will soon see a wider range of jobs for such laborers, extended sojourn periods and improved criteria for the minimum wage.

The Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on Nov. 26 jointly announced these measures under a plan to stimulate such labor at farms and fishing villages.

The system allows up to five months of the employment of foreign workers in agriculture and fisheries, two sectors that need short-term and intensive labor during sowing and harvesting seasons.

The first objective is to expand the range of work, which is limited to tasks directly related to agricultural production. If they are unable to work at their designated farms due to scorching heat or heavy rain, the revised rules will allow them to work at publicly run facilities such as distribution centers for farm products to sort, wash, package, conduct the first stage of processing of such items and manage seeds. 

Thus foreign workers at agricultural cooperatives can perform non-farming tasks for not more than 30% of their working hours.

The criteria for the guaranteed minimum wage of such workers will be changed from daily to hourly. The minimum wage standard, now set at 75% or more of the length of stay, will be shifted to that of 35 hours or more per week. 

The changes will enable more flexible contracts allowing work of up to 48 hours per week in the busy farming season and 35 hours per week in July and August, when heavy rains and heat waves are common.

Improvements will also affect visas and length of stay. The seasonal worker system has two visas: the C-4 for a stay of under 90 days and the E-8 for that exceeding five months. Both types will be integrated into the E-8 regardless of the sojourn period, with the permitted stay extended from five to eight months.

The number of seasonal workers that a marriage immigrant can invite to the country will be halved from 20 relatives within four degrees of kinship to 10 siblings (spouse included).

The Ministry of Justice said, "In cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, we will seek to further protect the human rights of seasonal workers and continue to improve the seasonal worker program for stable operations at work sites."

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