SHORTAGE IN FOREIGN LABORERS

입력 2021.03.17 (15:07) 수정 2021.03.17 (16:46)

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[Anchor Lead]

Shortage of farmworkers is one side effect of the drawn-out COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign workers used to help in rural towns during the farming season. But amid the pandemic and difficulties on their entry into the country, it’s a challenge to find seasonal foreign laborers.

[Pkg]

Park Woo-yeong grows Shine Muscat grapes in Yeongdong, Chungcheongbukdo Province. He applied for assistance of foreign seasonal workers for last year and this year but has had no luck. This is due to entry restrictions amid the pandemic.

[Soundbite] Park Woo-yeong(Maegok-myeon township) : "We are very short of workers. It’s a busy time with so much to do such as pruning and thinning."

The situation is similar at a nearby farm growing persimmons. Housing and rest areas for foreign workers have been created but their arrival is still unclear for the second year.

[Soundbite] Lee Chang-wun(Maegok-myeon township) : "It’s tough. If we ask a regular labor service firm, people with no expertise are introduced. They work slow which is a loss to the farm."

Farms in Chungcheongbukdo Province alone requested local authorities a thousand-strong foreign workforce in 2020. But not one person could enter South Korea amid the pandemic. This year, requests for more than one thousand workers were made each in Gangwondo and Chungcheongbukdo provinces with a total of 4,600 nationwide. But it still remains to be seen when the wait will end due to border closures.

[Soundbite] Yong Mi-suk(Chungcheongbuk-do provincial gov’t) : "The justice ministry says bringing in foreign workers will also be difficult this year. Instead, those already residing in the country will be allowed to take on these jobs and applications are under way."

As the pandemic continues, Korean farms are growing increasingly frustrated over the shortage in manpower.

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  • SHORTAGE IN FOREIGN LABORERS
    • 입력 2021-03-17 15:07:51
    • 수정2021-03-17 16:46:11
    News Today
[Anchor Lead]

Shortage of farmworkers is one side effect of the drawn-out COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign workers used to help in rural towns during the farming season. But amid the pandemic and difficulties on their entry into the country, it’s a challenge to find seasonal foreign laborers.

[Pkg]

Park Woo-yeong grows Shine Muscat grapes in Yeongdong, Chungcheongbukdo Province. He applied for assistance of foreign seasonal workers for last year and this year but has had no luck. This is due to entry restrictions amid the pandemic.

[Soundbite] Park Woo-yeong(Maegok-myeon township) : "We are very short of workers. It’s a busy time with so much to do such as pruning and thinning."

The situation is similar at a nearby farm growing persimmons. Housing and rest areas for foreign workers have been created but their arrival is still unclear for the second year.

[Soundbite] Lee Chang-wun(Maegok-myeon township) : "It’s tough. If we ask a regular labor service firm, people with no expertise are introduced. They work slow which is a loss to the farm."

Farms in Chungcheongbukdo Province alone requested local authorities a thousand-strong foreign workforce in 2020. But not one person could enter South Korea amid the pandemic. This year, requests for more than one thousand workers were made each in Gangwondo and Chungcheongbukdo provinces with a total of 4,600 nationwide. But it still remains to be seen when the wait will end due to border closures.

[Soundbite] Yong Mi-suk(Chungcheongbuk-do provincial gov’t) : "The justice ministry says bringing in foreign workers will also be difficult this year. Instead, those already residing in the country will be allowed to take on these jobs and applications are under way."

As the pandemic continues, Korean farms are growing increasingly frustrated over the shortage in manpower.

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