The government has begun collecting public opinion on the introduction of foreign domestic workers, which it is considering as part of its measures to reduce the birthrate.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor held a public discussion on foreign domestic workers at the Royal Hotel Seoul on the 25th. Currently, only compatriots such as Chinese diaspora (Koreans), spouses of Korean permanent residents, and long-term foreign residents who entered Korea on marriage immigrant visas are allowed to work in the domestic and care sector.

If the system is improved, it is expected that domestic workers from Southeast Asia, such as the Philippines, will be able to work in domestic households.

Specifically, the government is considering adding domestic workers to the E-9 visa, which allows temporary employment for non-specialized workers in the construction and agriculture industries.

The scale of the introduction has not been decided, but it is said to be from a few dozen people to more than 100 people. It is expected to be piloted on a commuting basis first, and then the number and method will be adjusted.

Currently, the monthly salary of domestic helpers is set at 3 million to 4 million won for Koreans and 2 million won for Chinese compatriots.

The government’s policy to introduce foreign domestic helpers is benchmarked on the example of Singapore and Hong Kong, which have allowed foreign domestic helpers since the 1970s with the aim of reducing career interruptions for women after childbirth.

These countries also do not apply a minimum wage to foreign domestic helpers, allowing them to be hired at a much lower salary than domestic workers먹튀검증. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has been advocating for this since last year, saying, “It costs 2 to 3 million won per month to hire a domestic helper in Korea, while a foreign domestic helper in Singapore costs between 380,000 and 760,000 won per month.”

However, unlike Singapore and Hong Kong, South Korea plans to apply a minimum wage to foreign domestic helpers for the time being. At this year’s minimum wage of 9620 won per hour, a domestic helper can earn about 2 million won (including weekly vacation pay) for an 8-hour workday, 5 days a week. This is about 30% cheaper than domestic workers.

However, there is a counter-argument that even if foreign domestic workers were to come in, there would not be much demand for them: not many families would pay 2 million won per month to hire a domestic worker, and if they could afford it, they would likely prefer to hire a Korean or Chinese compatriot, even if they had to pay more.