Foreign Workers Allowed in Hotel and Condo Industry

On December 29, 2023, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST) announced during a Foreign Workforce Policy Committee meeting that the Employment Permit System (EPS) will now include the hotel and condo industry. This decision aims to alleviate the labor shortage in key tourist areas such as Seoul, Busan, Gangwon, and Jeju.

The Employment Permit System allows small and medium-sized enterprises experiencing labor shortages to legally employ foreign workers. With this new inclusion, hotels and condos can now hire foreign workers as cleaners and kitchen assistants.

Initially, the pilot program will be rolled out in major tourist regions: Seoul, Busan, Gangwon, and Jeju. This program will focus on hiring foreign workers for cleaner and kitchen assistant positions in hotels and condos. The MCST and the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) will gather feedback from stakeholders and evaluate the program to consider further expansion.

The MCST plans to implement a structured training program for the foreign workers to ensure the pilot program's success and to facilitate the workers' smooth integration into their roles.

The hotel and condo industry has faced a severe labor shortage, especially following the surge in accommodation demand post-COVID-19. The MCST expects that this decision will help alleviate these labor shortages and enable the industry to meet the rising demand for accommodations more effectively.

Yong Ho-seong, Director of Tourism Industry Policy at the MCST, stated, “We hope that allowing foreign workers will help us respond smoothly to the increasing demand for accommodations. The MCST will continue to strive to reduce the burden on the tourism and accommodation industry.”

The inclusion of the hotel and condo industry in the Employment Permit System is expected to significantly ease the labor shortage in these sectors. The MCST is committed to providing ongoing support to strengthen the competitiveness of the tourism and accommodation industry.