Seoul: The foreign home helper program in Seoul, which currently employs migrant workers exclusively from the Philippines, is set for expansion to include several other Southeast Asian countries next year, as announced by the city government and the labor ministry.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul city government and the labor ministry are actively considering extending the foreign household helper program to include Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and additional Southeast Asian nations starting next year. This initiative follows the September launch of a pilot program where 100 workers from the Philippines began providing home chore services in Seoul to alleviate domestic child care and housekeeping pressures.

The authorities plan to increase the number of foreign domestic helpers to approximately 1,200 next year, emphasizing the need to diversify the sources of labor through this expansion. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon highlighted, during a parliamentary inspection on October 15, the program’s forthcomi
ng modifications, including a competitive system to attract workers from Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries.

Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo echoed these sentiments in a TV interview on Sunday, indicating a shared commitment to enhancing the program. The Seoul city government and the labor ministry aim to finalize the expansion details, including the selection of new labor-sending countries, by February of the upcoming year.