Yangju City Hosts Ministers of Justice and Agriculture, Recognized as a National Model for Foreign Seasonal Worker Program

Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho and Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryeong
On-Site Inspection and Meeting on Rural Labor Support in Yangju
Yangju's Unique Administrative System Praised
Mobile Immigration Service and Public Seasonal Worker Program Highlighted

Yangju City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kang Suhyeon) is garnering nationwide attention for its stable operation of the "foreign seasonal worker system" to address labor shortages in rural areas, as well as its differentiated administrative services.

Yangju City held a meeting on the 19th at the Yangju Agricultural Technology Center to inspect the field operation status of the foreign seasonal worker system and to discuss improvements to the system, with Jeong Seong-ho, Minister of Justice, and Song Mirae, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, in attendance. Provided by Yangju City

Yangju City announced that on the 19th, it held a meeting at the Yangju Agricultural Technology Center to review the on-site operation status of the foreign seasonal worker system and discuss improvements to the system, with Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryeong in attendance.

This meeting was organized to examine the operational status of the seasonal worker system, which was introduced to solve problems caused by rural aging and labor shortages, and to share Yangju City's outstanding administrative practices on a national level. Immediately after the meeting, the two ministers visited public accommodations and agricultural worksites to meticulously check the working conditions of the workers.

Since the system was introduced in 2023, Yangju City has rapidly expanded its scale of operation. This year, the city was assigned 750 workers for 154 farms, making it the second largest program in Gyeonggi Province. So far, 653 workers have entered the country and been deployed to worksites, and the total is expected to reach about 900 by the end of the year. This is approximately 3.9 times higher than last year, significantly alleviating the labor shortage faced by local farms.

In particular, Yangju City's systematic worker management system has received high praise. The city was the first in northern Gyeonggi to operate a "Mobile Immigration Foreign Registration Service" within the Agricultural Technology Center, streamlining administrative procedures. Furthermore, it provides comprehensive support throughout the entire process from entry to stay, including opening bank accounts on the day of arrival, mobile health check-ups and drug tests, and establishing a wage arrears prevention system, thereby protecting workers' rights and facilitating their early settlement.

Since April this year, Yangju City has also been actively promoting a "public seasonal worker program" in cooperation with Baekseok Agricultural Cooperative. By directly employing 20 workers from Laos, the city has provided labor support to small-scale and elderly farms over 500 times to date, establishing a rural support system with no blind spots.

The ministers who visited the site listened to Yangju City's advanced administrative practices and discussed institutional improvements based on on-site challenges.

Jung Hwakyeong, head of the Agricultural Policy Division at Yangju City, stated, "The foreign seasonal worker system is a key policy that breathes new life into declining rural areas. We will continue to prioritize stable operation and the protection of workers' rights, and strive to create a sustainable support system that allows farmers to focus on farming with peace of mind."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.