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Record-high number of migrant workers to fill agriculture labor vacuum
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung, right, listens to a migrant worker at a farm in Imsil County, North Jeolla Province, Friday, during her on-site inspection of workplace conditions for migrant workers. Courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
By Ko Dong-hwan
Domestic worker shortage fuels migrant influx to 104,000 in 1st half of 2026
Korea will invite a record-high 104,000 migrant workers to join the agricultural sector in the first half of this year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Friday, underscoring the country’s growing dependence on overseas labor.
Among them, 94,000 will be seasonal workers on an E-8 visa valid for up to eight months. The rest are reserved for E-9 visa holders who can stay for three years while seeking opportunities in broader industries such as livestock.
The number of seasonal workers alone marks a 53 percent increase from the 61,248 allocated in the first half of last year.
According to the ministry, the number of migrant workers in the agricultural sector stood at 20,738 in 2020, but quickly shot up to 85,292 in 2024 and 130,259 in 2025, marking an increase of more than six times.
With the figure for the first half of this year already exceeding 100,000, the annual total is expected to reach 140,000 this year, setting another record.
The sharp increase is tied to government efforts to address the labor vacuum in rural areas.
In Korea, April to June and September to October are considered peak farming seasons, during which demand rises sharply for agricultural labor. According to the government, the required labor is equivalent to around 62 percent of the country’s entire agricultural workforce each year.
As the labor supply in rural areas becomes increasingly tight, the government has backed workforce support through policy measures. Starting this year, it implemented the First Basic Plan for Agricultural Employment Support (2026-30) to provide more systematic support in areas such as the allocation and management of migrant workers.
Migrant workers plant potato seeds at a field in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, April 22. Korea Times photo by Jeong Kwang-jin
Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung on Friday visited an agricultural site in Imsil County, North Jeolla Province, and checked migrant workers’ workplace and living environments. Officials from the country’s national agricultural cooperative federation, also known as NongHyup, which hires and allocates migrant workers to farms nationwide, met the minister in Imsil to discuss the region’s current status of workforce supply to local sites.
Song said she will “strengthen communication with local farms and NongHyup to prevent labor shortages in rural areas during the peak farming season and establish a close collaboration with relevant agencies.”
The government has launched new public services to support migrant workers in areas ranging from immigration procedures to daily life.
The ministry this year established a seasonal worker bureau at Korea Immigration Service regional offices to facilitate and expedite administrative services for seasonal workers.
For those who cannot spare time to visit regional offices, the authority has also launched a mobile fingerprint registration service so they can register themselves to the government database more conveniently.
Daily subsidies for the workers, covering public transit and residential costs, increased by 10,000 won ($6.81) this year. Additionally, the online employment platform Albamon started including agricultural job opportunities this year.
For 35 cities and counties that produce the country’s 10 most popular food crops — apples, peaches, grapes, pears, garlic, hot peppers, onions, lettuce, radishes and potatoes — the ministry is running a joint task force from April to June with NongHyup, the Ministry of Justice and local governments to monitor the supply and demand of seasonal workers in real-time.