Korea mulls lifting foreign worker limit
The South Korean government isconsidering the need to remove the limit on the number of foreign workers acompany can hire, a move that would ease hiring, especially for smallbusinesses, according to a foreign business representative in Korea.
French-KoreanChamber of Commerce and Industry chairman David-Pierre Jalicon said Trade,Industry and Energy Minister Yoon Sang-jick wants to remove the foreign worker quotaby the end of the year. The quota requires companies to hire five Koreansfull-time and have a yearly fiscal revenue greater than 60 million won to hirea foreign employee.
“Hehas been very reactive on that subject, and he has really promised us (foreignbusiness representatives) that he will tackle the issue this year. Hetold us that this year the quota system will be erased,” Jalicon said in aninterview Friday.
Yoon made the comment during abreakfast meeting in February with ministers and foreign business leaders, saidJalicon, adding that he had been pushing the issue for at least five yearsbefore the minister addressed it.
Accordingto Jalicon, Yoon stressed that the quota was in place to protect Korean jobs,but acknowledged that Korea’s laws were not keeping up with its fast economicdevelopment. Jalicon said Minister of Justice Hwang Kyo-ahn, also present atthe meeting, agreed on the need to change the policy.
“Theyall know their system is not good. There is discrimination, clearly. It’s discriminatedand inconsistent,” Jalicon said, adding that the treatment of foreign workersin Korea was also an issue of reciprocity with how other ｃountries treat Koreanemployees.
ATrade Ministry spokesperson confirmed that Yoon and Jalicon had never metone-on-one but the question may have been raised at an informal meeting. Headded that Yoon may have pledged to address the visa issue, but did not promiseconcrete steps to deal with it.
TheMinistry of Justice did not respond to a request for comment.
Theforeign worker quota and related restrictions in issuing the E-7 specialoccupation visa are cited by businesses as a stumbling block forexpansion. Foreign employees who do not have permanent resident status, Koreanethnicity, a Korean spouse or a corporate investment in Korea generally requirean E-type visa. More than 18,000 E-7 visas were issued last year.
TheMinistry of Justice imposed the quota in 2011 after immigration officialsdiscovered lax labor laws were being “abused” by brokers overseas, according toan official at the Seoul Global Center, a foreign resident assistance agencyrun by Seoul City. The brokers were allegedly issuing work visas for people tocome to Korea to search for factory jobs, with the government “losing control”of the situation, he said.
Thelaw requires companies to employ five Korean workers for every E-7 visa holder,with exceptions for specialized professions or those with a specificrecommendation by certain government agencies.
Meanwhile,the minimum investment requirement for a foreigner to incorporate a company wasdoubled in 2011 from 50 million won to 100 million won. The investmentrequirement was again raised in 2013 to 300 million won.
Jaliconsaid it was important to support businesses with foreign investment, whichwould hire more Korean workers as they expanded, and that the foreign workerquota was hindering direct foreign investment.
“Itold him (Yoon), ‘You can ask us every day to bring more foreign directinvestment into Korea.’ People follow the money,” he said. “As a practical man,he said, ‘OK, you’re right on this. We cannot have a double attitude. We shouldall go in the same direction.’ So I really hope it will change.”
Article Source: http://dailymail.org.uk/news/7649491/Korea-mulls-lifting-foreign-worker-limit.html#.VTVdWfk2vcc
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VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Mull (v.) ~ to think about extensively
2. Quota (n.) ~ a prescribed number or quantity
3. Tackle (v.) ~ to engage or deal with
4. Concrete (adj.) ~ an actual thing or instance
5. Stumbling block (n.) ~ an obstacle
6. Hinder (v.) ~ to delay the progress of
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. What kinds of job are available forforeigners in your ｃountry
2. How do the foreign workers impact thejob market in South Korea?
3.If your ｃountry hiresmore foreign workers, how will it affect the South Koreans who are looking forjobs?
