On the 21st, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that it will support 7 million workers in the agricultural sector during the busy farming seasons of April to June and September to October. The government plans to monitor the labor supply situation weekly for 10 major items, including apples and peaches, that have high labor demand.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced the '2025 measures for supporting labor during busy farming periods' on the same day.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to support 4 million foreign seasonal workers and 3 million domestic rural labor intermediaries and helpers. The 7 million supported workers represent half of the 14.5 million required for agricultural employment during busy farming periods.
The government plans to increase the number of cities and counties adopting seasonal labor to 134 and expand the allocated personnel to 68,911.
NongHyup will increase the number of places providing public seasonal labor for daily supply to farms to 90 (300,000 workers).
In addition, to support the rapid entry of foreign seasonal workers during busy farming periods, a 'seasonal labor visa issuance dedicated team' will be operated at major immigration offices. Plans will also be sought to enhance the convenience of re-entry for diligent seasonal workers.
To prepare for the heat, the living conditions of foreign workers will also be improved. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to construct 30 dormitories for agricultural workers by 2027. There are also plans to expand the support for dormitory construction to include not only local governments but also NongHyup.
Additionally, to prepare for safety accidents involving foreign workers, the activation of safety insurance for seasonal agricultural workers will be encouraged, and in collaboration with local governments, a joint inspection of human rights violations against foreign workers will be conducted. Educational programs for farm owners will also be strengthened in conjunction with relevant authorities.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will monitor the labor supply and wage trends weekly in 32 cities and counties, including the major producing areas of 10 items with high labor demand, such as apples and peaches. If disruptions occur in labor supply, a meeting involving local governments, NongHyup, and the Ministry of Justice will be held to address the situation.
Minister Song Mi-ryeong said during a visit to a seasonal labor site in Jin'an County, Jeollabuk-do, "I will work to improve the working conditions for foreign workers in agriculture together with farmers and local governments."