Goesan County reduces foreign seasonal worker departure rate to 0.3%

Goesan County in South Korea has successfully reduced the unauthorized departure rate of foreign seasonal workers to 0.3%, despite increasing the scale of the program more than fivefold over the last four years. In 2022, the departure rate stood at 7.7%, but it has dropped significantly this year.

The county attributes this stability to close cooperation with Cambodia and Laos. To prevent broker interference, the county established a system where local governments and sending agencies directly select workers. In Cambodia, cooperatives conduct initial selections followed by interviews and tests by sending agencies. To ensure smooth integration, managers from the Cambodian Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and the Lao Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare reside in Goesan to manage labor and living issues.

Additionally, Goesan County invested 3 billion won to complete dedicated dormitory housing in 2024 to improve living conditions. The county also conducts field inspections to prevent human rights violations and protects worker rights, an effort that earned a commendation from the Ministry of Justice last year.