Korea considers allowing E-9 workers to change workplaces after 1 or 2 years

Korea is weighing significant changes to its employment system for foreign workers, including a proposal that would allow E-9 visa holders to change jobs after one or two years. If implemented, the move would mark a departure from the long-standing Employment Permit System (EPS), under which workers are effectively tied to a single employer. According to activists participating in the government task force launched last month by the Ministry of Employment and Labor to reform policies involving foreign workers, representatives of the government are currently weighing two proposals — including one that would allow EPS workers to change employers after one or two years with their current employer. Under the EPS, workers—mostly employed in agriculture, fisheries, construction, and certain service-sector jobs — can change workplaces only under restricted conditions, such as business closure or due to serious labor law violations by the employer. They typically work in small and medium-sized firms that struggle to attract local labor, often under demanding conditions and for relativelyWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times