South Korea issues new regulations on illegal workers voluntarily returning home

Foreign workers who have resided illegally in Korea for less than 5 years and voluntarily returned home from July 10 to October 10, 2017 will be exempted from entry into Korea.

According to the Overseas Labor Center (Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs), the Korean Ministry of Justice has just announced a policy of exemption and reduction of entry ban period for foreign workers residing illegally in Korea if they voluntarily return home between July 10 and October 10, 2017.

Foreign workers residing illegally in Korea who return home on their own will be exempted from the ban on entering Korea. Illustrative photo

Accordingly, foreign workers who have resided illegally in Korea for less than 5 years and voluntarily return home between July 10 and October 10, 2017, will be exempted from the ban on entering Korea.

At the same time, foreign workers who have resided illegally in Korea for 5 years or more, if they voluntarily return home between July 10 and October 10, 2017, will have their entry ban reduced to 1 year.

To receive information and advice on voluntary repatriation procedures, workers can contact the Vietnam Labor Management Board in Korea or the Vietnam Labor Management Office under the EPS Program in Korea. In addition, workers can declare voluntary repatriation procedures on the website http://www.colab.gov.vn in the section Registering and declaring information of workers working in Korea, of the Overseas Labor Center.

Also according to the Overseas Labor Center, from April 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016, about 44,000 foreign workers residing illegally in Korea voluntarily returned home and in the first 5 months of 2017, 14,000 foreign workers residing illegally in this country voluntarily returned home./.

According to VOV