Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung-sik, second from left, visits the Foreign Worker Support Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, May 26. Courtesy of Ministry of Employment and Labor
The Korean government has implemented a variety of services ranging from counseling and interpretation to education and training to help foreign workers adjust to life in the country.
This year, the Ministry of Employment and Labor launched a multi-lingual counseling service called the Employment Permit System (EPS) Foreign Language Counsellors.
These counselors offer both face-to-face and telephone counseling and administrative support related to the EPS, a migration labor program, under which workers from 16 Asian countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, are allowed to work in Korea under special visas.
The ministry has deployed about 60 such counselors at 27 local labor offices across the country.
Among them, nine offices, strategically located in regions with a high concentration of foreign workers, such as Uijeongbu in Gyeonggi Province and Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province, provide services even on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The ministry has assigned one to six additional interpreters to each local labor office to enhance support for communication with foreign workers. Currently, there are 137 interpreters operating across 45 local offices.
The Counseling Center For Foreign Workers, also known as HUG Korea, is a call center for immigrant workers, which is open year-round.
Since 2011, the call center has provided services in 16 languages to those who are not fluent in Korean and therefore, have difficulties in solving various problems.
For example, when foreign workers visit a local labor office to report overdue wages but encounter language barriers, they can connect with an interpreter by dialing 1577-0071. The counselor will then verify the details of the complaint and facilitate problem-solving procedures using a three-way call function.
Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung-sik, right, listens to a foreign worker during his visit to the Foreign Worker Support Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, May 26. Courtesy of Ministry of Employment and Labor
The Foreign Worker Support Center also offers both in-person and telephone counseling for inquiries from foreign workers about various issues about living in local communities, including housing, health care and legal issues.
These centers are currently in operation in nine locations — Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Changwon, Gimhae, Yangsan, South Chungcheong Province and North Jeolla Province. Among them, those in Busan and North Jeolla Province were newly established.
At each center, approximately three counselors provide counseling and educational services in multiple languages to assist workers settle in each region.
Each center also organizes cultural events tailored to local traditions or features.
For example, the Gimhae center holds an event promoting cultural exchanges between foreign nationals, while the Yangsan center holds a festival for those from multicultural backgrounds. The Changwon center has a support program for foreign workers who want to acquire driving licenses here.
The ministry has also made efforts to expand education for foreign workers, having selected 41 institutions, including universities, dedicated to offering free Korean language education on weekends.
In addition to this, vocational training in fields like car maintenance and welding has been offered since 2010 for foreign workers employed in Korea to enhance their job performance and boost productivity for employers.
Additionally, for those who are set to return to their home countries, relevant education and vocational training have been offered to help them be employed by local companies or establish their own businesses after they return.