Vague job descriptions, wage concerns: Will South Korea’s pilot to hire Filipino domestic workers take off?

SEOUL: South Korea is set to begin a controversial pilot to hire foreign domestic workers for the first time, but it remains to be seen if South Koreans are willing to accept them into their homes. 
 
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to bring in 500 Filipino caregivers next year, and up to 1,000 by 2028, if the six-month pilot is a success. 
 
But the programme, which aims to support working parents and boost falling birth rates, has come under intense scrutiny over vague job descriptions and minimum wage concerns. 
The first 100 Filipino domestic helpers arrived in Seoul earlier this month and are preparing to start work on Sep 3.
 
They were chosen based on criteria such as having a caregiver licence, and English and Korean language skills, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, which oversees the programme with the Ministry of Employment and Labour.
 
In a video distributed to media outlets by the authorities, Filipino caregiver Cailing Glory Masinag said she is excited to work in Seoul. 
 
“I have a housekeeping certificate. I want to learn more about Korean culture,” she said in Korean. 
 
“I’m hoping to save a lot of money, start a business in the Philippines in the future, and also help my family. I also want to go to graduate school.”
 
The domestic helpers declined to comment when approached by CNA. 
 
These Filipino helpers will provide childcare and do light housework for families, even though it is unclear what exactly that covers. 
 
They will be paid the country’s minimum wage of 9,860 won (US$7) an hour. For 40 hours of work per week, that adds up to about US$1,800 a month including mandatory insurance coverage.
However, many South Koreans believe this is too expensive. 
 
“If it’s around the same cost, I think I would hire a Korean,” said one resident. “That’s because we would have the same culture and things like that since we are from the same country.”
 
Some experts and lawmakers have questioned whether foreign caregivers should be entitled to minimum wage, adding that the scheme does not serve the needs of the general public.
 
“I think there is a significant gap between what our people expect from domestic and childcare helpers, and the recent introduction of this system,” said People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won. 
 
“Moving forward, the overall domestic helper system should be adjusted to better meet the needs of our people.”
 
The authorities and the two government-certified domestic service providers taking care of the Filipino caregivers did not respond to requests from CNA. 
 
The programme aims to plug a shortage of local caregivers, most of whom are paid by the hour with no insurance coverage.
Sociology professor Lee Joo-hee of Ewha Womans University told CNA that if Korean domestic helpers were given full-time work and the same benefits as their Filipino counterparts, many South Korean women would be willing to do the job. 
 
“If there is money to spend, it should first be used to improve this sector, where workers often do not even receive the minimum wage,” she added. 
 
“The focus should be on making these jobs better and prioritising domestic labour. This is important because the labour force participation rate of women in South Korea is also very low.”
 
In 2022, there were around 107,000 domestic workers in the country, with more than 90 per cent aged 50 and above, according to data from Statistics Korea. 
 
“There are many middle-aged women who are pushed into the labour market due to poverty, and at the same time, there is a large number of non-economically active people in that age group,” said Prof Lee. 
 
“At the age of 50 or 60, they do not need to take care of their children, so they could work full-time. If we turn these jobs into full-time positions, the labour force could potentially double.”
 
She noted that bringing in foreign workers is unlikely to solve South Korea’s demographic crisis. She pointed to Singapore and Hong Kong as examples, highlighting the birth rates in those economies are still among the world’s lowest despite their long reliance on foreign domestic workers.