Newsnomics AJAY ANGELINA reporter |
“Korea needs to consider accepting more foreign workers to increase country’s working-age population amid a looming demographic crisis, “said a presidential aide in an interview on KBS radio on Wednesday.
"As the working-age population is sharply decreasing, utilizing foreign workers could be an option to increase the population," emphasized by You Hye-mi, a senior aide while addressing the problem of low birthrates and aging population in South Korea.
In 2023, the Korea's total fertility rate reached a record low of 0.72. If the current trend continues, the country's population could decrease by about 30 percent and the proportion of the elderly population will surpass that of the working population warned by Miss You.
"It is questionable whether the current system can function as it does now in such a situation," she said.
In this case utilizing foreign workers could be an option to increase the population." While the current work
permit system allows recruiting of foreigners in non-professional fields, the government needs a long-term,
comprehensive strategy to hire foreign employees and the proposed Ministry of Population Strategy and Planning aims to play a critical role for the goal,” said You.
She also mentioned that the cost of the pilot program to recruit domestic workers from the Philippines is still high due to the application of minimum wage systems, calling for measures to make the program more accessible to ordinary households.
