KOREAN NET

Korean restaurants, hotels and condominiums from this year can hire foreign staff with the E-9 (non-professional work) visa. Shown is a poster for this year's second round of application for work permits for such personnel. (Ministry of Employment and Labor)

Korean restaurants, hotels and condominiums from this year can hire foreign staff who hold the E-9 (non-professional work) visa.

The measure seeks to ease the labor shortage in industries suffering from chronic personnel turnover like restaurants.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor on April 2 said it will accept applications from E-9 holders from April 22 to May 3 under this year's second round of applying for work permits at labor and employment offices nationwide.

Work permits will go to a combined 42,080 foreign laborers: 25,906 in manufacturing, 1,824 in shipbuilding, 4,955 in agriculture and farming, 2,849 in fisheries, 2,056 in construction and 4,490 in the service sector. In case of excess demand, flexible allocation of 20,000 workers will be used.

Korean restaurants, hotels and condominiums, which have struggled to hire domestic staff, can apply to hire foreign staff thanks to the ministry's quota of 4,490 workers in the service sector.

Employers wishing to hire foreign personnel must first try to hire domestic workers for seven days. Afterwards, they can seek help from abroad by visiting employment centers or clicking the official websites of Goyong (Employment) 24 (www.work24.go.kr) or the Employment Permit System (www.work24.go.kr).

The results of the applications will be announced on May 21.


By Israa Mohamed
ess8@korea.kr