S.Korea to allow hiring of foreign workers in hotels, resorts

The South Korean government said on Friday that it would grant the hiring of foreign workers in hotels and resorts from next year.

The hotel and resort industries in the nation have been facing a labor shortage, prompting the government to allow the employment of foreign workers in these sectors beginning next year.

Foreigners can be employed as cleaners and kitchen assistants, with a pilot program implemented in Seoul, Busan, Gangwon, and Jeju regions, in consideration of the demand from tourists.

The government plans to start taking employment permit applications from companies as early as April next year.

For the 2023 service industry quota, around 13,000 foreign workers will be allocated, and additional allocations from a flexible quota of 20,000 will be made if needed.

From 2025, workers from Tajikistan will also be allowed to enter South Korea under the Non-Professional Visa (E-9) visa, marking an expansion of countries eligible for the E-9 visa for the first time in eight years since 2015.

Tajikistan underwent a suitability assessment, leading to its designation as the 17th country eligible for the non-professional foreign worker visa, joining the ranks of countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Nepal.

Tajikistan, with its government and public institutions overseeing the dispatch process, demonstrated sufficient capacity for infrastructure, education, selection tests, and measures to prevent illegal stays before entry.

The Employment Permit System, introduced in 2004, allows the government to set quotas and determine industries to permit small- and medium-sized enterprises to hire foreign workers.

In response to labor shortages, the government has expanded the number of E-9 visa quotas to a record high of up to 165,000 workers next year.

Write to Yong-Hee Kwak at kyh@hankyung.com