gettyimagesbank

Korea's plan to bring in 100 caregivers from the Philippines at the end of July for a pilot program aiming to ease the child care burden on young working parents and boost the declining birthrate has sparked a debate on their compensation.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Monday, the Philippine government started recruitment of Philippine caregivers for the program earlier this month.

Considering that the monthly cost of hiring caregivers from Korea or ethnic Koreans from China ranges from 2.5 million won ($1,800) to 4.5 million won, the concept of introducing foreign caregivers at a comparatively reduced cost, akin to practices in neighboring Hong Kong and Singapore, gained traction last year through proposals to exclude them from regulations that would honor their basic rights to receive minimum wage.

However, since Korea and the Philippines have both ratified international treaties that uphold the International Labor Organization's (ILO) discrimination convention, which mandates equal remuneration and nondiscrimination based on nationality, the Korean government has stipulated a payment rate corresponding to the legal hourly minimum of 9,860 won ($7.20). This equates to a monthly salary exceeding 2 million won under the national 40-hour workweek standard.

In that respect, several working parents view the solution as ineffective.

"Lowered cost was the merit of hiring foreign nannies, but that seems to have disappeared now," said a working mother surnamed Choi who raises 3-year-old twins with the help of her parents.

Another Seoul-based working parent, who wished to be identified only by her surname Kwon, was also skeptical of taking advantage of the policy, saying she "would rather employ a Korean nanny for shorter working hours, considering this price range."

Meanwhile, many believe paying the minimum wage and granting equal labor standards for foreign caregivers is imperative.

Philippine Ambassador to Korea Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Jan. 8. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

"Under the existing memorandum of understanding on the Employment Permit System, workers are accorded equal treatment under Korea's labor standards. Korea's minimum wage law specifically provides the equal application of minimum wage, regardless of nationality, among others," Philippine Ambassador to Korea Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega said during a recent interview with The Korea Times, highlighting the importance of recognizing the economic value of labor delivered by caregivers.

Notably, some parents said they would opt for nannies from the Philippines due to their proficiency in English. Under the selection procedures, candidates must prove their English speaking level equivalent to at least "Intermediate High" or "Advanced Low" in an oral proficiency interview.

Government data obtained by Rep. Kang Deuk-gu of the Democratic Party of Korea found that Koreans spent an average of 1.24 million won monthly on their children's English education in 2023.