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Contribution of Foreign Workforce in Development of Korea

We all would have been living in silos, imprisoned in our little worlds that would have slowly disintegrated
into nothingness, into the anonymity of our ignorance, had we not reached out to one another beyond the
borders of our own insignificant existence. A people to people contact among nations has been a key to
new ideas, progress and what is infinitely imperative, co-existence.

The miraculous economic and human development that Republic of Korea has achieved over a few decades
is unrivaled. It has transformed into a socially modern, technologically advanced and economically strong
country. However, much of this economic progress is contributed by the very carefully managed foreign
workforce. According to a report published by Ministry of Employment and Labor, as of December 2017,
there were more than 271,940 sojourning foreign workforce in Korea from 16 countries under Employment
Permit System.

Foreign human capital, especially the low and semi-skilled workers have proven welfare enhancing factors
for Koreans by offsetting manpower shortages. Before the introduction of Employment Permit System in
2004 and E-9 visa, these foreign workers were issued D-3 visa with its metaphoric irony of Dirty,
Dangerous and Difficult. It is this character of foreign workforce’s skill set that has not only offset any
possibility of the conflict of interest between the foreign and domestic workforce but has also helped Korea
to invest in its domestic human capital for graduating it to skilled and white collar jobs.

This might not have been possible, if the foreign workforce were not brought into Korea through a carefully
planned and efficiently implemented Employment Permit System. Most of the foreign workers, largely
employed in manufacturing sector (almost 84% of total foreign workforce) are simple laborers. This makes
for a very interesting phenomenon as it inflates the supply of unskilled labor to crowd out the locals who
have to set off to be eligible for filling in the job space in sectors requiring skilled human capital. This has
ultimately a very positive effect on the income and quality of life of Koreans on one hand and on industrial
innovation and progress on the other.

There are more than 5000 Pakistani workforce employed in manufacturing sector under Employment
Permit System. Since July 2016, I have travelled to almost every corner of South Korea holding meetings
with these work hardened young men and their employers. It has been an extremely enlightening journey
for me into the meticulousness of arrangements of support centers for solving foreign workers problems
by Ministry of Employment and Labor, and Human Resources Development Service of Korea. The officials
of the latter have always been available to assist in reaching out to the aggrieved workers and for addressing
their complaints.

It is a matter of immense pride for me that Pakistani workforce is recognized in Korean manufacturing
industry for performing the hardest of the tasks with a relative ease, their ability to work for stretched hours,
and that an increasing number of Pakistani workers, especially in Daegu and Changwon, are volunteering
on their off-days for Police Citzen Petrol, Senior-citizens volunteer organizations, Social network citizen
reporter, Common people translation service etc.

As a consequence of its working relationship and experience with Human Resources Development Service
of Korea, Embassy of Pakistan has brought about a great deal of operational improvements vis a vis its
workforce in South Korea. Due to the rigorous campaign of the Embassy to ensure return support to
Pakistani workforce in South Korea, Pakistanis have the 2nd lowest rate of overstaying (with a rate of only
0.3% to all the overstaying, undocumented or illegal workers from 16 labor sending countries) as per the
report published by Ministry of Employment and Labor.

Similarly, another policy improvement, a positive externality, that has happened as a result of Pakistan’s
experience with Employment Permit System is establishing Facilitation and Re-integration Centers in all
the major cities of Pakistan as establishing these centers is an integral part of the return support activities
under Employment Permit System. These facilitation and integration centers initially motivated by
integration of the workforce returning from South Korea are going to help resettle and integrate the
Pakistani workforce from all Middle Eastern countries as well.

From introduction of ITS in 1993 to efficiently executed Employment Permit System, South Korea has
come a long way to manage foreign workforce and their rights to medical insurance, equal and fair job
opportunities and wages which has helped the country achieve miraculous growth in manufacturing sector
and maintain the pace for desired economic development.

Yet, there are human aspects of the lives of foreign workforce in Korea which can be taken as challenges
and transformed into opportunities. It doesn’t make economic sense for employers as well as workers to
take leave from work more than once a year to visit their families, nor their families including spouses and
children are issued visas for visit as these do pose many administrative challenges for the relevant
departments in Korea. This can potentially lead to emotional alienation of the foreign workforce and can
be a great motivation for the Korean government to address the issue.

During one of my visits to meet Pakistani workers, I had this poignant conversation with an elderly man:

“What is it like migrating to another country for work?”


I asked a middle-aged, worn out man.
There appeared deep wrinkles on his forehead, deep like incurable scars.
His eyes blinked, as if trying to capture the escaping moments,
He heaved a cold sigh.
“What can I say?” He whispered in anguish.
“I came here to earn just enough money,
to run a home with dignity.
A home with my wife, and our children,
But I’ve increasingly fallen short of making that home,
Let alone running it.
Having spent some years here,
In this foreign land,
Which is still foreign to me.
I would say–
If there’s no other way,
For you to make a home,
Except migrating to a foreign land,
Then take with you all that is yours.
The laughter and the noise of your children,
The hopelessly waiting eyes of your parents,
The loneliness of your wife,
The slowly fading faces of your brothers and sisters,
The suddenly grown old Oak tree,
Under which you played with them.
The mud of your rooms and walls,
The vastness of your haveli,
The buffaloes, the cows, the dog,
The tubewell, and the lush green fields;
Leave nothing behind.
The flesh, the bones, the blood, the sweat.
If you can take with you everything that’s yours,
Only then you should consider living,
In a foreign land,
Or making a home,
And running it with dignity.”

Muhammad Shafiq Haider


The writer is Counsellor for Community Welfare and Cultural Affairs at Embassy of Pakistan in Seoul.
shv.gov.pk@gmail.com

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