- Customized consults provided on-site with participation of administration, labor, and visa experts -

Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that it successfully held a comprehensive briefing on the foreign employment system to support a stable supply of workforce for manufacturing companies amid changes in foreign labor policies.

The briefing was held at the Incheon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with about 100 representatives from local manufacturing companies in attendance. While reliance on foreign workers in industrial settings has been increasing, companies have struggled to maintain their workforce due to complex administrative procedures and a limited understanding of relevant systems. The event was organized to address these challenges.

According to 2025 statistics, the number of foreign workers steadily increased from 273,139 in the first quarter to 282,839 in the fourth quarter. In contrast, the number of workplaces employing foreign workers in Incheon decreased from 3,160 to 3,132 during the same period. This indicates that companies are encountering practical limitations in specialized areas such as employment permit applications, visa changes, and labor management.

Reflecting the on-site demand, Incheon invited experts across four key fields and conducted practice-oriented, customized training. The program included: Practical Administration, procedures related to foreign employment (Kim Soo-hyeon, Administrative Attorney, K-Job Edu Administrative Office); Labor Management, employment contracts and legal considerations (Lee Hong-seok, Certified Labor Attorney, Ho HR Labor Law Firm); Visa Policy: securing skilled workers and employment linkage, including F-2 visa conversion (Kim Ji-yeon, Director, Refugee Policy Division, Ministry of Justice); and Policy Guidance: introduction to Incheon’s support programs for foreign workers and hiring companies (Kim Yoon-hee, Manager, Poory Industry Foreign Worker Center). Participating companies praised the event and stated that it was “highly helpful for practical operations,” as customized consulting sessions tailored to each company’s issues were delivered, going beyond simple dissemination of information.

Until now, Incheon has focused on supporting worker settlement through the Poory Industry Foreign Worker Center located in Geomdan, Seo-gu. Following this briefing, however, the city government plans to significantly expand support to cover the entire employment process for companies. This marks a policy shift toward integrating previously dispersed support functions to create an environment where both companies and workers can thrive together.

Ko Tae-soo, Head of the Incheon Economic Policy Division, stated, “Foreign employment goes way beyond supplementing workforce. It is directly linked to the survival and competitiveness of local industries. We stand committed to reinforcing practical support that companies can truly experience on-site.”