Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.
100 Philippine caregivers arrive in Seoul for foreign domestic worker pilot program
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By Jung Da-hyun
A group of 100 Philippine caregivers are set to arrive in Korea early Tuesday as part of a pilot project aimed at supplying foreign workers to domestic households, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday.
Upon arrival, the caregivers will begin their specialized training, which will last for 160 hours over the next four weeks.
The city government is receiving applications from Seoul residents seeking to employ the Filipino caregivers from July 17 to Aug. 6. Households will be matched with caregivers within this month, and service will begin on Sept. 3. This pilot project is scheduled to run until the end of February next year.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, 422 households had submitted applications, according to a city official.
Households will be selected based on a comprehensive set of priorities, including single-parent families, multi-child households, dual-income families and households with pregnant women. Additional factors, such as the age of the children and the duration of service use, will also be considered.
This pilot project, launched to address Korea's persistently low birthrate, aims to provide Korean parents with affordable child care support from foreign workers. If successful in Seoul, the program is expected to expand to other cities and regions nationwide.
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The four-week, 160-hour training includes 16 hours of basic education for E-9 visa holders and 144 hours of specialized job training.
The curriculum covers safety and health control regulations, the National Basic Living Security Act, sexual harassment prevention, child care and household duties, Korean language instruction and cultural education, as well as visa and employment rules.
To facilitate their stay, the city government has arranged accommodation for the caregivers near Yeoksam Station in the Gangnam area to ensure their mobility is convenient.
Each of the 100 caregivers will reside in single or double rooms, with sizes ranging from 4.8 to 6.5 square meters, for approximately seven months through the duration of the pilot project.
The city government emphasized its commitment to the first pilot project for foreign domestic workers in Korea by thoroughly inspecting accommodations, training centers, education programs and registration procedures for foreign workers.
"We are actively supporting Filipino caregivers as they transition from their home country to life in Seoul. At the same time, we aim to ensure that families receiving these services are fully satisfied with the caregiving services," said Kim Sun-soon, head of the women and family office at the city government.