Restaurants line a street in Myeongdong, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

The government is considering expanding the number of restaurants that will be allowed to hire foreign nationals who possess a non-professional working visa (E-9) — from Korean restaurants to other cuisines — as a worker shortage is starting to occur within the industry, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs said Friday.

Last November, the ministry expanded the list of workplaces where migrant workers are permitted to work to include Korean restaurants. However, operators of non-Korean restaurants are advocating for a broader extension of this policy to encompass all types of eateries.

On Friday, the ministry issued a tender for a research project aimed at enhancing employment opportunities for E-9 visa holders within the hospitality industry. This initiative follows the ministry's previous actions from last November, where Korean food restaurants were urged to consider hiring E-9 visa holders specifically for kitchen positions.

Through the research, the ministry aims to assess the outcomes of the initial round of employment placements for E-9 visa holders. It seeks to evaluate the severity of labor shortages in various restaurant types, understand the pressing needs of restaurant operators, and strategize on how to increase the supply of foreign workers to establishments experiencing a shortage of workers.

"Whether to allow the placement of E-9 visa holders across all types of restaurants is under consideration at this point," a ministry official said. "As we've just begun allowing foreign nationals to work at local restaurants, we had first decided that the new labor law might as well take root gradually. So, we initially allowed only Korean food restaurants to receive a workforce boost."

Out of approximately 800,000 registered restaurants in the country, those serving Korean food account for the most at 42 percent. Korean cuisine, compared to other types of food, is known to require more time and preparation, according to the ministry. That's why the ministry first allowed only Korean food restaurants to apply for foreign workers.

On Tuesday, the food ministry said it will accept a second round of applications from local Korean restaurants that need foreign workers for their kitchen operations, from April 22 until May 3. Similar to the initial round, eligibility for the second-round application is restricted to restaurants situated in 100 designated districts. These include 25 in Seoul, 16 in Busan, 10 in Incheon, and a limited number across various provinces. Qualified establishments must demonstrate a minimum of five years of operating history. Restaurants with five or more employees are eligible to apply for up to two foreign nationals, whereas those with fewer than five employees can only apply for one foreign national.

The ministry plans to host a third round in July and a fourth round in October.

Before last November, workplaces in the country that welcomed E-9 visa holders had been limited to agriculture, livestock, fisheries, manufacturing and construction.