1. Study Objectives and Methods

❚ Research background and goals

￮ In Jeonbuk State, the rapid aging and depopulation of rural areas have exacerbrated the decline in farm population, intensifying the labor shortage in agriculture. To address this issue, foreign workers are being supplied tharough the Employment Permit System and the Seasonal Worker Program, and their numver is steadily increasing.

￮ Although the demand for foreign seasonal workers, who are legally employed for short periods in seasonal industries, is increasing, the current legal and institutional framework is inadequate. Consequently, local governments, which are responsible for attracting, operation, and managing the foreign seasonal worker program, are facing various difficultuties.

￮ This study is to establish a systematic and stable operation and management of the seasonal worker programs by local governments. It seeks to understand the current status of program operation and management by local governments and to identify and propose directions and measures for Jeonbuk State to support the stability of local governments' program operationations and management. Furthermore, it aims to build a support system at a broader regional level.

❚ Main research steps and methods

￮ First, it is to examine the institutional framework for the operation of the seasonal worker prgram at the central and regional levels, as well as case studies of foreign seasonal worker programs in other countries.

￮ Second, it is to investigate the current status of local governments' seasonal worker program operation and management at each stage(pre-recruitment, employment and stay, and return) and to identify any difficulties encountered.

￮ Lastly, to ensure the stable operation and management of local governments seasonal worker programs, it is to propose directions and measures for support at each stage to establish a support system at a broader regional level.

￮ To achieve this, literature reviews, administrative data, and internet resources will be examined to understand the seasonal worker program, institutiona framework, and analyze overseas case studies. Additionally, interviews with partitioners and focus group interivews(FGI) will be conducted to understand the current status of local governments' program operation and management.

2. Conclusion and Policy Suggestion

❚ Fundamental concepts

￮ This study is propose directions for supporting the stable operation and management of local governments' seasonal worker programs at a broader regional level.

­- Establishing and operating a support organization that can systematically and organizationally assist with difficulties in operating and managing their own projects

­- Presenting the roles and functions of the support organization based on the purpose and goals of its establishment

- ­Proposing support programs to allevite the agricultural labor shortage in Jeonbuk State

￮ (Functions) education, management, translation and interpretation, medicine, counseling, mediation, and promotion

- ­(Education support) enhancing the competencies of foreign seasonal workers, employers, and practitioners

- ­(Management support) supporting local governments in managing seasonal worker programs from foreign municipalities with which they have signed MOUs to minimize unauthorized departures of foreign seasonal workers and facilitate their stable integration into local communities, including managing their rights and working conditions

­- (Translation and interpretation support) resolving conflicts and enhancing communication between foreign seasonal workers and employers, facilitating the adaptation of foreign seasonal workers to local communities, and supporting practitioners in the operation and management of the program

­- (Medical support) securing the health rights of the workers through handling emergency health crises and resolving medical blind spots

­- (Counseling and mediation support) resolving issues faced by workers, employers, and practitioners, and collaborating with relevant agencies for mediation and crisis management during emergencies

­- (Promotion) promoting the attraction of workers as a solution to overcoming exacerbated agricultural labor shortages

￮ Detailed action plans

­- Operation of a support organization to facilitate the seasonal worker program in Jeonbuk State: Providing various supports across education, management, translation and interpretation, medicine, counseling, mediation, and public relations

­- Program-related public relations: Producing leaflets and promotional videos and launch joint public relations campaigns with related institutions

­- Pre-hiring

· MOU enhancement and consultation : adding pre-entry education provisions, strengthening responsibility of foreign municipalities for unauthorized departures, MOU consultation

­- Employment/stay

· Educational support for competence building: enhancing and distributing textbooks for workers, establishing outreach education centers for workers, providing education for employers and practitioners, and securing a pool of instructors

· Cooperation projects with MOU-executed foreign local governments: providing a database of foreign municipalities with which MOUs are signed, collaboration projects with foreign municipalities with MOUs, inviting public officials from foreign municipalities with MOUs, and identifying new foreign municipalities

· Translation and interpretation support: establishing a pool of communication and translation professionals and providing outreach communication and translation       

· Accompanying support for foreign seasonal workers to hospita

· Medical expense support for foreign seasonal workers: establishing cooperative systems with local medical institutions, supporting city's and county's membership in medical cooperatives

· Operation of seasonal labor call center: deploying dedicated personnel, installing hotlines, and publishing/distributing manuals for emergencies

· Operation of diligent work evaluation system for foreign seasonal workers : developing evaluation criteria for diligent workers and distributing guides for workers

­- Returning home

· Supporting activities of diligent public seasonal worker as team leaders 

· Issuance of a Jeonbuk State agricultural visa (special Exemption): introducting specia exemption provisions and operating a program to modify Jeonbuk State seasonal labor visas  ​ 

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