20 years since the introduction of the foreign employment permit system in South Korea... Ministry of Employment and Labor publishes white paper

"I came to Korea in August 2004 through the employment permit system. I saw a TV program and realized I could work in Korea, so I decided to go without hesitation. The biggest reason was the high salary.
After I came to Korea and worked for four years at a mobile phone case assembly company in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do, the president at the time was a man who treated not only foreign workers like me, but all of us.
I am now working as a pharmacist in Canada, but I still think back on that experience as a happy memory.
It gave me good opportunities and great experiences, and I am proud of the fact that I was the first worker to enter the country under the employment permit system."
The story of Noname Pingoy (Philippines), the first immigrant to the country. The Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Human Resources Development Corporation of Korea (HRD) have published a white paper on the 20th anniversary of the implementation of the Foreign Employment Permit System this year.
The foreign employment permit system is a system that allows small and medium-sized businesses that have not been able to employ Koreans to employ non-professional foreign workers (E-9, H-2 visas).
It was enacted on August 17, 2004, together with the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers. At the time the employment permit system was introduced, the number of countries allowed to depart was six, but now it has increased to 17, and the number of countries allowed to depart is increasing from 10 to 17, covering the manufacturing, construction, agriculture and livestock industries.
The industries in which foreign workers can be employed have also been expanded to include fishing, services, forestry, and mining. Thanks to the stable operation of the system, the number of foreign workers (E-9) visiting Korea has been steadily increasing, reaching 1.2 billion in the first half of this year.
The employment permit system has undergone repeated developments, with the total number of foreigners entering the country exceeding one million. The 'White Paper on the 20th Anniversary of the Foreign Employment Permit System' covers the background to the introduction of the system, the early stage of its introduction, its development process, and its outlook for the future.
The book contains detailed information on the development of the system as well as on the current situation of foreign workers who entered the country in the first year of the system's implementation, the impressions of employers and foreign workers who have used the employment permit system, and the outlook for the system.
The book contains many recordings of genuine opinions regarding the employment permit system, including interviews with people who have worked hard in their respective positions to design and operate the system.
In his opening remarks, Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo said, "The employment permit system is a system that will contribute to the efficient use of human resources between countries.
It is considered a representative system in the field and is recognized internationally as a successful migrant labor policy. In the future, the employment permit system will be expanded to meet the needs of the field, such as expanding the range of industries and occupations and supporting the long-term residence of skilled personnel.
"We will focus our efforts on adapting to changing needs."