Filipino caregivers move to ride a bus parked outside Incheon International Airport after their arrival, Aug. 6. Yonhap

Nearly four out of 10 households in Seoul that will hire Filipino caregivers starting in September are located in the affluent southern parts of the capital, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Wednesday.

The hiring of Filipino caregivers by parents in affluent areas under the government's pilot program aimed at addressing the nation's low birthrate suggests the initiative may not fully meet its expectations. This trend indicates that the program, intended to offer affordable support through foreign caregivers, might not be effectively reaching all parents as initially hoped.

The city government announced that it selected 157 households from 751 applications submitted by residents seeking to employ Filipino caregivers between July 16 and Aug. 6.

The pilot project saw significant interest from wealthier areas, with 318 households, or 43 percent of all applicants, concentrated in the Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa districts.

As a result of these applications, 59 households, or 37.6 percent of the selected ones, are concentrated in the three districts and the relatively affluent Gangdong District.

The higher-than-expected cost of employing foreign caregivers seems to be a significant factor influencing the demand pattern.

These workers will earn 2.38 million won ($1,749) per month for an eight-hour workday, based on the minimum hourly wage. This amount is roughly half of the median income for an average household in their 30s, which is 5.09 million won.

Some critics argue that "Gangnam mothers," known for their emphasis on high-quality education and substantial household income, see Filipino caregivers primarily as a means to enhance their children's English education rather than for actual caregiving.

"When applying for the program, many applicants indicated preferences such as conversing in English during caregiving hours or having caregivers read storybooks in English," a Seoul City official said.

"There is a notable expectation among applicants for English language education to be included as part of the caregiving service."

Philippine caregivers arrive at Incheon International Airport as part of Korea's pilot project aimed at supplying foreign workers to domestic households, Aug. 6. Joint Press Corps

The city and national governments introduced this pilot program to alleviate the burden of child care and address the country's declining birthrate issue.

However, the application and selection results suggest that the initiative may struggle to be effective without a significant cost advantage for users.

Because of the cost, some have argued for a differentiated application of the minimum wage for foreign caregiving workers.

In January, the city government formally requested the Ministry of Justice to allow salaries for these workers to be set below the minimum wage by enabling each household to hire them at lower pay rates.

Under the current law, domestic workers can be paid below the minimum wage if a contract is established between each family and the individual worker.

However, the Philippine caregivers who arrived on Aug. 6 were selected by the government and employed by staffing agencies, with permission to stay on E-9 visas. Under these conditions, the minimum wage cannot be reduced due to the International Labor Organization (ILO) convention, which prohibits discrimination in employment and occupation.

Despite the city's request, the justice ministry has yet to respond, and it has been nearly seven months.

Experts argue that it is unreasonable to seek lower wages for foreign domestic workers by comparing Korea to non-OECD countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore.

"Hong Kong and Singapore are not OECD members and are not signatories to the ILO convention, so their wage standards cannot be directly compared with ours," said Seol Dong-hoon, a sociology professor at Jeonbuk National University.

He also warned that paying differential wages could lead to unintended consequences.

"If lower wages are offered, there is a risk that caregiving workers may leave their designated employers to seek higher pay elsewhere, potentially becoming undocumented immigrants," Seol said.

Lee Joo-hee, a sociology professor at Ewha Womans University, emphasized that instead of lowering wages, state-level support should be provided to low-income households to ensure the effectiveness of introducing caregiver services and addressing the child care shortage.

"Support should be directed toward low-income households, such as dual-income and single-parent families, who need assistance to bridge the care gap," she said.

"Government-level support will enable low-income households to access domestic manager services."