Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung, right, listens to a migrant worker at a farm in Imsil County, North Jeolla Province, Friday, during her on-site inspection of workplace conditions for migrant workers. Courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Korea will invite a record-high 104,000 migrant workers to join the agricultural sector in the first half of this year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Friday, underscoring the country’s growing dependence on overseas labor.
Among them, 94,000 will be seasonal workers on an E-8 visa valid for up to eight months. The rest are reserved for E-9 visa holders who can stay for three years while seeking opportunities in broader industries such as livestock.
The number of seasonal workers alone marks a 53 percent increase from the 61,248 allocated in the first half of last year.
According to the ministry, the number of migrant workers in the agricultural sector stood at 20,738 in 2020, but quickly shot up to 85,292 in 2024 and 130,259 in 2025, marking an increase of more than six times.
With the figure for the first half of this year already exceeding 100,000, the annual total is expected to reach 140,000 this year, setting another record.
The sharp increase is tied to government efforts to address the labor vacuum in rural areas.
In Korea, April to June and September to October are considered peak farming seasons, during which demand rises sharply for agricultural labor. According to the government, the required labor is equivalent to around 62 percent of the country’s entire agricultural workforce each year.
As the labor supply in rural areas becomes increasingly tight, the government has backed workforce support through policy measures. Starting this year, it implemented the First Basic Plan for Agricultural Employment Support (2026-30) to provide more systematic support in areas such as the allocation and management of migrant workers.
Migrant workers plant potato seeds at a field in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, April 22. Korea Times photo by Jeong Kwang-jin
Source: Korea Times News
