Filipino caregivers arrive at Incheon International Airport, Aug. 6. Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are among the countries under review for the expansion of Korea's foreign nanny program next year, according to a source. Newsis

Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are among the countries under review for the expansion of Korea's foreign nanny program next year, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Speaking to The Korea Times recently, the source said the Asian nations are being reviewed as potential new partners as government officials here plan to bring some 1,200 caregiving workers by the end of June.

Currently, 98 Filipinos are working as caregivers in Seoul through a six-month pilot program introduced by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. This initiative aims to alleviate the child care burdens on parents and help boost the nation's low birthrate. The program is expected to expand beyond the capital as more workers are brought in by 2025.

According to the source, 16 countries that send workers to Korea through the Employment Permit System (EPS) are likely to be selected as new partners.

"Given that those countries have already sent workers here (through the system), it would not take a long time to implement new programs with them," the source said.

Introduced in 2004 to effectively manage foreign workers, the EPS initially included six countries. It has since expanded to 16 countries in Asia, including Mongolia, China, East Timor, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Tajikistan is set to become the 17th partner next year.

At a parliamentary audit on Oct. 15, the mayor said he was considering expanding the program with new partner countries like Cambodia as part of efforts to improve it.

Oh also proposed implementing a live-in system and other types of care services for the elderly and patients, utilizing foreign workers. Currently, the Filipino workers reside in designated accommodations and commute to the households where they work, with their duties limited to caring for babies.

Details about the expansion plan for the foreign caregiver program remain largely undisclosed. However, with the trial project set to end in four months, the government is expected to make an official announcement in the near future.

Asked about the expansion plan, officials at the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Seoul Metropolitan Government said nothing has been determined so far.

"We still need to evaluate how big the demand would be, based on the reviews provided by the service users," a senior official at the ministry's international relations department said. "For example, there was considerable demand for Filipino caregivers because parents, I think, had expectations that children would also be able to learn English from them. We need to check how big the demand would be for other countries."

The issue of cost is at the heart of the concerns regarding demand. Initially, the nanny program was designed to provide affordable care services for those balancing parenting and work in Seoul.

Currently, the cost of hiring a full-time worker, including insurance fees, is 2.06 million won ($1,490) per month. This is deemed too high for most Korean households, which, on average, earn 5.44 million won a month.

But the plan to introduce a separate wage system for non-Korean workers has been derailed by the ministry, which said it would comply with International Labor Organization rules, and the objection of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, which holds a majority in the Assembly.

A public relations director at the city government declined to reveal which countries are under consideration.

"We plan to review the expansion of the pilot program, as well as other initiatives to support childcare for residents," the director said.