The Ministry of Employment and Labor will test out the “foreign housekeeper” system under a pilot program in December. It is the first time that foreign workers will be allowed to work in the domestic households and the childcare sector. The government will hire 100 foreign housekeepers and send them to the households of dual-earner couples in their 20s to 40s, single parents and multi-child families in Seoul as a trial. They will be examined for their backgrounds, such as age, language ability and any criminal records. The goal of this program is to ultimately contribute to recovering the country’s birthrate by increasing the number of housekeepers in Korea. This could ease the economic burden of housework and childcare for parents and help them easily do housework and childcare while holding down their jobs.

However, there are many doubts about how effective the system will be. The main concern is whether parents can trust foreign housekeepers. Because of different parenting cultures, it is also questionable if foreign housekeepers can effectively care for a child solely based on instructions. Most Korean housekeepers are in their 50s and 60s, so they possess more extensive childcare experience. It is difficult to expect the same quality of domestic housekeepers from foreigners who lack an understanding of Korean culture. In addition, the demand for local Korean housekeepers is still increasing, while the supply is decreasing due to social perceptions towards housekeepers. If a cheap foreign labor force becomes more available, it can result in Korean housekeepers leaving their jobs more than before. We should also consider how to solve these issues.

It is desirable for foreigners to actively engage in Korean society as members. Introducing the foreign housekeeper system can address the immediate issue of the low birthrate problem, but it is not a sustainable solution. To tackle the underlying problems of low birthrate, the government needs to make long term-efforts to establish strategies. Therefore, it would be prudent to consider hiring foreign housekeepers.

By Kim Young-ji, Reporter