South Korea’s Justice Ministry said Wednesday it plans to revise visa policies to attract more skilled foreign technicians to the country’s shipbuilding industry, as shipyards grapple with persistent labor shortages.
The announcement came after a policy meeting held in Ulsan, one of the nation’s key shipbuilding hubs, where government officials gathered with representatives from local governments, industry groups, labor organizations and immigration policy experts to discuss workforce challenges facing the sector.

Participants broadly agreed that immigration policy should focus less on expanding the overall number of foreign workers and more on bringing in highly skilled technicians who can contribute to the industry over the long term and help revitalize regional economies.

The ministry said it intends to adjust visa programs accordingly, emphasizing the recruitment of skilled foreign workers with specialized technical capabilities.

Some participants also suggested lowering the permitted ratio of foreign employees under the E-7-3 visa program — which covers skilled technical workers — from 30 percent to 20 percent of a company’s domestic workforce.

Officials acknowledged that while shipbuilders have made efforts to hire Korean workers and improve working conditions, the physically demanding and high-risk nature of shipyard jobs has made it difficult to retain domestic production workers.

Given the shipbuilding sector’s strategic importance to the national economy, the government said expanding domestic employment remains a priority even as it considers ways to address labor shortages through immigration policy.

The meeting also discussed the future of Ulsan’s regional visa pilot program, which allows local governments greater flexibility in attracting foreign workers tailored to regional needs.

Some participants said it was too early to assess the program’s economic and social impact, noting that only 133 workers had entered Ulsan under the pilot scheme and that the trial period has been relatively short.

The Justice Ministry said it will develop a roadmap to evaluate the regional visa system and decide whether to maintain or modify the program after a formal review process.

Cha Yong-ho, head of immigration policy at the ministry, said the government would continue consultations with industry and local stakeholders to create practical policy changes that support both Korean and foreign workers in the shipbuilding sector.
Source: Korea Bizwire