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Gov’t denies foreign worker scheme aims to expand cheap labor

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By Jung Min-ho
  • Published KST
A foreign worker harvests minari in a minari field in Busan, Dec. 15, 2025. Yonhap

A foreign worker harvests minari in a minari field in Busan, Dec. 15, 2025. Yonhap

The government has rejected concerns that its new foreign worker scheme for depopulated regions is designed to expand access to cheap migrant labor, insisting it is meant to sustain local economies facing structural labor shortages.

In written responses sent to The Korea Times recently, the Ministry of Justice said the goal is not “simple cost-cutting through low-paid foreign workers,” but to help solve the “structural labor shortage problem in depopulation areas where hiring Koreans” is very difficult.

Announced earlier this month, the “regional vitality special employment scheme for small businesses” allows small businesses and agricultural corporations in designated areas to hire foreigners who hold the F-2-R visa, which lets certain noncitizens live and work long term in designated depopulated areas.

Previously, the F-2-R visa could only be used by employers that already had Korean staff on their payroll, a condition officials said was difficult to meet amid worsening labor shortages across the country, excluding major cities. Under the initiative, employers in 89 designated municipalities can hire up to one F-2-R visa holder even if they have no Korean employees.

Over the past year, the Lee Jae Myung administration has repeatedly criticized what it calls a “cost-cutting model” that relies on cheap foreign labor to reduce business expenses. Asked whether the new policy contradicts that stance, the ministry denied it.

“The region-specialized skilled talent (F-2-R) visa targets foreign individuals who possess Korean language proficiency and a commitment to settling in a specific region. Unlike short-term foreign labor programs, these individuals live in the region with their families and take part in local consumption and economic activities,” the ministry wrote. “We will continue to operate the program based on the principle of protecting domestic jobs, while also taking into account local labor conditions and industrial needs, so that it contributes to regional economies and balanced national development.”

The pilot scheme is being implemented nationwide until Dec. 31, 2027. Based on the results, the government will decide whether to formalize the program as a permanent policy.