Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks during a meeting at Government Complex Sejong in Sejong, June 20. Yonhap

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Thursday the government will improve its management of foreign workers to help address labor shortages caused by a declining and aging population.

Han made the remark during a government meeting held in the central administrative city of Sejong, saying the government drew up a manual for better managing the migrant workforce by collecting opinions in the field and meeting with experts.

"We will combine the foreign workforce management responsibilities that have until now been divided among ministries, and strengthen connections and adjustments between foreigner policies," he said, noting there are currently around 560,000 foreign laborers in the country, with the number expected to grow further.

"Also, we will improve the way in which we have responded to short-term demand by visa type, and draw up a workforce policy tailored to users based on mid- to long-term forecasts of supply and demand in each sector," he said.

Han instructed the government to work closely together to establish a systematic management system for migrant workers so that diligent foreign laborers can continue to enter the domestic workforce "within the limits of not violating our people's jobs." (Yonhap)