Дата публикации: 14-08-2026 15:41:33

The government is expanding the base for introducing foreign workforce by additionally designating Kazakhstan as a sending country under the Employment Permit System. At the 49th Foreign Workforce Policy Committee meeting presided over by Minister for Government Policy Coordination Lim Ki-keun on Au

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Vice Minister of Employment and Labor Kwon Chang-jun is speaking at the central-local council for the Employment Permit System held at the Royal Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on September 9 of last year. (Ministry of Employment and Labor = Provided by Yonhap News) 

The government is expanding the base for introducing foreign workforce by additionally designating Kazakhstan as a sending country under the Employment Permit System. At the 49th Foreign Workforce Policy Committee meeting presided over by Minister for Government Policy Coordination Lim Ki-keun on August 14, the government finalized the proposal to designate Kazakhstan as a sending country and the plan to improve the Employment Permit System in the construction industry.

With this decision, Kazakhstan has become the 18th sending country, following the Philippines, Vietnam, and others. The government confirmed the infrastructure dedicated to sending operations and the potential for securing transparency in Kazakhstan through written surveys and on-site inspections. In particular, the country received positive evaluations for having adequate major infrastructure, such as educational facilities for workforce selection and health examination centers, and for the high willingness of the Kazakh government to cooperate in preventing illegal stays.

The Kazakh workforce will be introduced to the country in earnest starting in 2028, following subsequent procedures such as the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the governments and the establishment of a local Employment Permit System center. With this designation, four Central Asian countries are now included as sending countries, which is expected to further solidify cooperative relations with the region. For employers, this means a broader range of workforce choices and the securing of a stable supply base.

The operation method for foreign workforce in the construction sector will also be reorganized to be site-centric. Previously, employment permits were managed on a construction site basis, strictly restricting the movement of personnel between sites except in exceptional cases such as the suspension of construction. Moving forward, the movement between sites will be allowed as long as the prospective site meets the employment permit requirements, enabling employers to manage their workforce flexibly.

Instead, accountability for legal violations will be strengthened. The government has decided to expand the application of employment restriction measures imposed for violations of labor relations laws from the existing individual site basis to an employer basis. The intent is to enhance the effectiveness of the system by ensuring that if a law is violated at a specific site, the effect of the employment restriction extends to other sites operated by the same employer.

The measure easing workforce movement between construction sites will be applied immediately starting from the application period for the fourth round of employment permits this year, which begins on September 14. On the other hand, the employment restriction measure on an employer basis is planned to take effect from March 2027, following a six-month grace period to prevent confusion in the field.

Minister for Government Policy Coordination Lim Ki-keun assessed that this measure would serve as an opportunity to swiftly respond to the labor shortages in industrial sites.

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