Gov’t plans to discontinue Seoul’s foreign nanny program early next year

Filipino caregivers arrive at Incheon International Airport, Aug. 6, 2024, as part of a pilot project aiming to supply foreign workers to Seoul households. Joint Press Corps

The Lee Jae Myung administration plans to discontinue the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s foreign nanny pilot program early next year, as labor authorities re-examine the viability of migrant worker policies introduced by the previous government, according to an official on Monday.

Speaking to The Korea Times, an official familiar with the matter said the Ministry of Employment and Labor will not approve a proposal to bring in an additional 1,200 caregivers from the Philippines. Without central government backing, the city government will have to end the foreign nanny initiative when its current trial period concludes in February 2026.

“We have reached a consensus that the program should be closed after the test period,” the official said. “There has been a lot of criticism of the scheme, particularly its higher-than-expected cost. After it finishes, we will discuss how to develop a new system to support parents raising children.”

Launched in September 2024, the program aimed to reduce the childcare burden for families in Seoul and potentially serve as a model for other regions. It brought 100 Filipino caregivers to Korea, of which 80 are currently still employed. Their E-9 visas allow them to work for up to 36 months in total, so those remaining do not have to leave the country immediately when the program ends.

This decision aligns with the Lee administration’s labor policies.

In a statement sent to the National Assembly ahead of his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon emphasized that care worker issues should not be approached solely in terms of “cheap labor.” He also noted that Seoul’s initial attempt to pay Filipino caregivers below the mandatory minimum wage could be deemed a violation of International Labour Organization rules prohibiting discrimination.

At the same time, the ministry has launched a broader review of all migrant worker policies, particularly the regulations that strictly limit E-9 visa holders’ ability to change workplaces.

Currently, they can transfer to a new workplace only in exceptional circumstances, such as employer closure, verified abuse or wage nonpayment, and only up to three times in the initial three-year period. Critics argue that these rules reinforce a power imbalance between workers and employers, contributing to abuses like wage theft, harassment and other labor rights violations.

“No clear reform direction has been decided yet, as this is a sharply contested issue,” the official said. “The aim is to find a solution where both migrant workers and business owners ― most of whom are small business operators ― can benefit.”

Expanding workplace mobility for migrant workers has been a longstanding demand from labor rights groups. According to the state-run Human Resources Development Service of Korea, difficulties with workplace changes accounted for 28 percent of all counseling requests from migrant workers in the first half of this year, making it the most commonly cited problem.

The renewed push for policy reform comes after President Lee called for a comprehensive overhaul of migrant worker protections, in response to the “Naju abuse” case in which a Sri Lankan migrant at a brick factory was publicly humiliated and mistreated by Korean coworkers.