Migrant worker demand leads to special measures

Workers arrived at the Incheon International Airport on April 28 to help alleviate the labor shortage. [YONHAP]

Special non-scheduled flights are being permitted by the government to countries like Nepal to bring in migrant workers.

The labor shortage, at smaller companies, farms and fisheries, is so acute due to entry restrictions during the pandemic that urgent measures are being put into place.

A total of 73,000 migrant workers will be brought in by the end of the year, according to the government's plan.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor said it will first bring in 26,000 migrant workers who were not able to enter Korea during the pandemic by August. It will coordinate with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to allow for the flights.

The number of flights to Nepal will be increased from one a week to two. Frequencies to Indonesia and Myanmar will also be upped.

According to the ministry, among migrant workers with work permits, 19,000 arrived in Korea as of May. The government plans to have the remaining 28,000 migrant workers arrive by the end of the year.

The Labor Ministry said it will work with the Justice Ministry, which is responsible for visa issuance, to extend the validity of the employment documents provided by Korean employers, essential for the working visa, from the current six months to a year.

It added that it will also request a simplifying of the reissuance process.

The ministry said it plans to hold meetings this month with the immigration and labor departments of countries where there are a large number of migrant workers waiting for the approval of their governments.

"The labor shortage at SMEs and in the agriculture and fishing industry is serious," said Lee Jung-sik, minister of Employment and Labor. "We will try to resolve obstacles both home and abroad so that the migrant workers will arrive in Korea as soon as possible."

In 2019, 51,366 migrant workers arrived in Korea. That number dropped to 6,688 in 2020 as borders were closed amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Last year, the number of migrant workers arriving in Korea was 10,501.

A survey by the Labor Ministry in the second half of last year found that SMEs were short 322,000 workers.

BY KIM KI-CHAN [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]