Under new program, Korea preps Mongolian migrant workers before arrival
A Mongolian migrant worker teaches elementary school students how to play a traditional Mongolian musical instrument in Seoul, as part of an initiative funded by the Community Chest of Korea and organized by the Meeting for Migrant Workers' Human Rights to reduce prejudice against foreign workers. Korea Times file
Long before Mongolian workers board their flights to Seoul, their preparation for Korea's fast-paced industrial shop floors will now begin at home in Ulaanbaatar — part of a new push by labor officials to prevent workplace accidents before foreign hires even touch down.
The Korea Labor-Foundation (KLF) said Friday that Secretary-General Park Jong-pil was leading a four-day delegation to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from Wednesday through Saturday to streamline the training and integration pipeline for Mongolian workers bound for Korean factories and job sites under the Employment Permit System (EPS).
Rather than waiting for foreign laborers to undergo safety briefings after entering the country, the initiative links predeparture instruction in Mongolia directly with post-arrival orientation in Korea. By sharing standardized safety materials developed alongside the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, KLF said it aims to build early safety awareness and curb workplace accidents.
The policy shift comes as Korea relies heavily on foreign labor to counter severe demographic shifts and worker shortages in manufacturing, agriculture, and construction. The total number of nonprofessional foreign workers staying in Korea under the EPS scheme recently hit a record high of nearly 288,000, with around 80 percent employed in manufacturing.
Mongolian nationals represent a crucial segment of this workforce.
Korea hosts the largest population of overseas Mongolians in the world, with more than 54,000 Mongolian residents living in the country. Many serve as economic lifelines for their households back home through overseas remittances, yet language barriers, unfamiliar machinery and tight workplace deadlines have historically heightened injury risks and adjustment struggles.
During the visit, KLF officials inspected essential touchpoints in the departure pipeline, including local Korean language testing sites, medical examination centers, and predeparture training institutes. The foundation also expanded its post-arrival support, announcing plans to launch an artificial intelligence-driven consultation platform named "Talk-Up" in early 2027. The service will provide real-time assistance on housing, health care and transportation for workers from six partner nations, including Mongolia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Tajikistan.
Beyond worker preparation, the delegation broadened bilateral labor diplomacy.
KLF renewed a memorandum of understanding with the Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions to protect workers' rights in Korea while helping Korean firms operating in Mongolia navigate local labor regulations and mitigate disputes. Additionally, meetings with the Korean Embassy in Mongolia and the Korea International Cooperation Agency focused on developing official development assistance projects tailored to Ulaanbaatar's labor policy needs.
"This visit establishes a seamless support system spanning from pre-departure training in Mongolia to long-term settlement in Korea," Park said. "We will continue working with local governments, embassies, and development agencies to build a sustainable model of labor cooperation."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.