EXCLUSIVE Fewer than 50 foreigners applied to nanny program: source

Human rights activists hold a rally against a Seoul Metropolitan Government-led foreign nanny program near Seoul City Hall in central Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Fewer than 50 applications have been submitted for Korea’s new foreign nanny program for Seoul residents, amid worries that a lack of applicants could derail the project before it even begins, according to a source who has direct knowledge of the matter.

Speaking to The Korea Times on Thursday, the source said the number so far was much lower than expected. EasyTask, a platform service company partnered with the Seoul Metropolitan Government for the scheme, began accepting applications on March 24.

Under the experimental program initiated by the city government and the Ministry of Justice, holders of one of the following visas — D-2, D-10-1, F-3 and F-1-5 — can apply for permission to work as domestic workers, babysitters or both, with the nation's minimum wage system not being applied.

More than 82,000 foreign residents here are eligible to apply, according to the ministry. But apparently, a lack of enthusiasm raises questions about the program’s feasibility.

“If enough applications are not collected, there should be a discussion between the justice ministry and the city government over its viability,” the source said.

The city government’s original plan was to ask the ministry to review the first 50 to 60 applicants to determine whether they could be permitted to work in Korea before holding work training this month, according to the source. However, it is now uncertain whether the education program can begin as planned, let alone meet the goal of supplying workers to 300 households through the program.

Over the past couple of weeks, officials have been stepping up efforts to promote the policy to city-run community centers for foreign residents and other facilities, the source said.

The most likely reason for the lack of interest is the wage level, which offers no minimum guarantee. Unlike a similar program that allowed Korean parents in Seoul to hire Filipino caregivers at the legal minimum wage, participants in the new project can be paid less, as it is based on private contracts.

Article 11 of the Labor Standards Act states, “This act shall neither apply to any business or workplace in which only the employer’s blood relatives living together are engaged nor to servants hired for the employer’s domestic works.”

Although the law applies to both citizens and noncitizens, most Koreans would avoid such jobs in favor of better available options. Critics have accused policymakers of attempting to exploit this legal loophole to create a supply of cheap labor as part of their efforts to address Korea’s chronic low birthrate problem.

On Wednesday, 32 human rights organizations issued a joint statement calling for Mayor Oh Se-hoon to scrap the program. After a press conference, they filed a criminal complaint against EasyTask, accusing the firm of illegally providing a platform without being registered as a business entity for that role.

Officials plan to continue to accept applications from foreign students (D-2), jobseekers (D-10-1), parents and family members of marriage immigrants (F-1-5) and dependent family members (F-3) of employees holding certain long-term visas until there are enough applications to proceed to the next phase of the program.