Construction industry relies on foreign workers including specialized engineers

[Anchor]

Now, the saying goes that construction cannot proceed without foreign workers, as the proportion of foreign laborers has increased significantly.

Specialized construction workers, such as civil engineers, have also started coming in from abroad.

This is Lee Kwang-yeol reporting.

[Report]

Early in the morning, at an apartment construction site in Seoul, safety instructions are being translated in real-time into Chinese, Vietnamese, and Kazakh.

["To ensure work can be done in a safe environment..."]

This is a multilingual translation application developed by the construction company, created out of concerns for smooth communication as the number of foreign workers continues to rise.

[Kim Min-seop/GS E&C, Apartment Construction Team Leader: "Koreans make up less than half. There are now more foreigners than Koreans. Especially at the site, there are many risk factors. We need to inform these people of the risks in advance..."]

This construction company, which is engaged in civil engineering projects, recently decided to hire three civil engineers from Vietnam.

Hiring foreign specialized construction workers is unprecedented and carries significant risks, but the decision was made out of necessity as it has become difficult to find domestic labor.

[Jeon Joo-gwon/CEO of Banseuk Construction: "There are no young engineers, especially those with less than ten years of experience, who are crucial and most active on-site. We believe the effects of low birth rates are already being felt based on current trends."]

The number of foreign workers at construction sites is increasing every year.

While the reliance on foreign workers is growing, there is still a lack of a systematic management environment for foreign laborers.

[Park Kwang-bae/Senior Researcher at the Korea Research Institute for Construction Policy: "It is important to find ways for them to settle stably while residing here. More importantly, it is crucial to manage these individuals systematically, support them to settle stably within the management framework."]

There is also a growing call to shift the direction of utilizing foreign workers from short-term use to enhancing their skills.

This is KBS News, Lee Kwang-yeol reporting.