South Korea to accept 22,000 foreign workers in an effort to ease labor shortages at small and medium-sized businesses

On the 13th, the South Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that it will begin accepting applications for new employment permits for over 22,000 foreign workers (E-9 visas) under the employment permit system from the 21st to the 2nd of next month in order to address the labor shortages of small and medium-sized enterprises.
The company announced that it will accept applications until the end of the month. This is the second round of new recruitment, and by industry, the largest number of applicants was manufacturing with 16,328 applicants, followed by agriculture and livestock with 2,347 applicants, fishing with 2,077 applicants, shipbuilding with 625 applicants, and sanitation with 1,077 applicants.
The employment permit system allows small and medium-sized enterprises that cannot secure personnel domestically to hire non-professional foreign workers with government permission.
The ministry has also announced its intention to provide an additional 32,000 flexible quotas, citing the expectation of excess demand in some industries. Businesses that wish to apply must first carry out domestic recruitment activities for more than seven days.
After that, they can visit the local employment and labor office in their jurisdiction or apply through the online platform "Employment 24." The results of the application are scheduled to be announced on the 21st of next month. The period for issuing the employment permit is
The manufacturing, shipbuilding and mining industries will be closed from May 22nd to 28th, while agriculture, livestock farming, fishing, forestry, construction and services will be closed from May 29th to June 4th.