Expanding public workforce, enhancing protections to ensure stable agricultural labor supply
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 19th that it will transition rural labor supply management from a private brokerage-centered system to a government-local government managed system and increase the public supply ratio to 60% by 2030.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs unveiled the ‘1st Agricultural Employment Workforce Support Basic Plan (2026-2030)’ on the 19th. This plan is the first legally mandated mid- to long-term measure established under the ‘Special Act on Support for Agricultural and Fishery Employment Workforce,’ which took effect in 2024.
Previously, government policies were criticized for focusing only on short-term supply adjustments, such as expanding seasonal foreign workers during peak farming seasons. Consequently, labor recruitment has been unstable due to changes in diplomatic and immigration conditions, while issues like unpaid wages, safety accidents, and human rights violations have persisted.
The government will expand the ‘public seasonal workforce’ system — where local governments or public institutions directly hire seasonal workers and dispatch them to farms — from 3,000 people last year to 6,000 by 2030. The number of foreign seasonal workers allocated in the first half of this year reached 92,104, the largest scale ever.
Additionally, the government plans to raise the domestic workforce ratio to over 40% by expanding support for transportation and accommodation costs. It will also strengthen worker protections by mandating wage arrears guarantee insurance and enhancing safety education.
A source from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated, “While previous rural labor policies focused on short-term supply adjustments, the core of this basic plan is transitioning to a structure where the public sector takes responsibility for labor supply and management. We will establish a permanent workforce management system that supports the sustainability of agriculture.”
