Hwasun County Recruiting Farms for Next Year’s Foreign Seasonal Worker Program

Application Period Reduced from Twice to Once a Year Due to Revised Guidelines
Apply by August 20

Hwasun County is recruiting farms and agricultural corporations to participate in the 2027 Foreign Seasonal Worker Program as part of its efforts to address the chronic labor shortages during the busy farming season in rural areas.

In particular, due to the Ministry of Justice’s revised guidelines this year, there have been changes to the number of applications farms can submit. Farms hoping to hire seasonal workers next year need to pay close attention to these modifications.

According to Hwasun County on August 10, applications for the 2027 Foreign Seasonal Worker Program will be accepted through the respective Eup and Myeon Administrative Welfare Centers until August 20.

Hwasun County Office building.

This application process is a preliminary step for establishing next year’s operational plan for the foreign seasonal worker program and allocating quotas by the Ministry of Justice. The county plans to confirm participating farms and the number of workers after an allocation review.

The most significant change this year concerns the number of applications allowed.

According to the revised Ministry of Justice guidelines, the application window for participating farms has changed from twice a year to once a year. Therefore, farms and agricultural corporations wishing to hire seasonal workers in 2027 must apply during this current recruitment period.

After closing applications this month, the county will finalize the allocation of workers through reviews by the Ministry of Justice by November, and intends to facilitate the arrival of foreign seasonal workers starting in the first half of 2027.

The foreign seasonal worker program is a system that allows for the legal employment of foreign workers for a certain period to address the growing labor shortages during busy farming seasons caused by declining and aging rural populations. Seasonal workers can be employed for up to eight months.

Eligible applicants include farms and agricultural corporations in the Hwasun area that are registered as agricultural businesses and wish to employ foreign seasonal workers for an extended period. They must also meet relevant qualification requirements, such as providing appropriate lodging for the workers.

An Jinhwan, Director of the Rural Vitality Division of Hwasun County, stated, “With the number of participating farms and foreign seasonal workers steadily increasing, the program has helped significantly resolve manpower shortages during the busy farming season. We hope that farms wishing to participate in next year’s program will not miss the application period.”

He added, “We will do our utmost to ensure that foreign seasonal workers can work stably and that farms are able to utilize labor smoothly through thorough program management and support.”

For further details on the program, including the application process, eligibility, and required documents, please contact your local Eup or Myeon Administrative Welfare Center.

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