Controversial foreign nanny project sets sail in Seoul

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Labor Ministry announced on Tuesday that applications from families interested in hiring caregivers from the Philippines are to open Wednesday, marking a step forward in implementing a government-facilitated foreign nanny program for the first time.

Families eligible for the pilot program are those with children under 12 years old, single-parent households, households with multiple children and dual-income families. Applications are to be accepted via designated service provider mobile apps -- Homestory Life’s Daeri Jubu and Hubris’ Dolbom Plus -- until Aug. 6, officials said.

The initiative jointly led by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Employment and Labor is aimed at providing families here with affordable child care and housekeeping services amid the decline in local caregivers due to labor conditions. This six-month pilot program is limited to Seoul residents and hires only Philippine nationals until the official version is launched.

“We introduced this pilot program to support families in need of child care and housekeeping assistance,” said Kim Sun-soon, director of Seoul city's Women and Family Policy Division. “Our goal is to offer practical and affordable solutions that help parents manage their responsibilities more effectively. We hope many interested individuals will apply.”

The pilot program is making progress after the Seoul city government announced its plan to bring in around 100 caregivers from the Philippines to address the shortage of people here willing to do low-wage care work as Korea is also rapidly aging.

During a National Assembly audit last year, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said hiring foreign caregivers would be effective if the monthly cost for their services is set at approximately 1 million won ($720). The plan, however, has been heavily criticized by labor activists and migrant rights groups because it does not meet South Korea‘s minimum wage standard according to international labor law. Workers in Korea are guaranteed a minimum wage of 9,860 won an hour.

Amid the controversy, the government set the cost for hiring foreign caregivers at 9,860 won per hour, in line with the national minimum wage, according to the Labor Ministry.

The four basic insurances are required to be provided out of the minimum hiring cost.

Caregiving shifts are flexible, with part-time (four- or six-hour shifts) or full-time (eight-hour) assistance possible between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., excluding weekends, with a maximum 52-hour workweek. Households can apply for caregiving services for up to six months, it said.

Families that apply for the pilot program will not be limited by income and will be considered for the program if they meet specific criteria. With just some 100 caregivers initially, the pilot program will prioritize households with children under the age of 12 and pregnant women. Additional priority will be given to single-parent households and those with multiple children, with younger children receiving higher priority.

The caregivers, limited to Filipinas aged 24 to 38, hold the Caregiving National Certification Level II Certificate from the Philippine government‘s Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, after completing at least 780 hours of vocational training.

They have also passed a comprehensive background check, health examination and language proficiency assessment. Additionally, the caregivers in the program are to hold E-9 visas, allowing them to work in Korea. All are are fluent in English and have basic proficiency in Korean, according to the Seoul city government.

To ensure a smooth transition and integration of the workers, comprehensive training will be provided, according to the Labor Ministry.

In the Philippines, the 100 workers in the pilot program are currently undergoing 45 hours of employment education focused on Korean language and culture, coordinated by the Sejong Institute, which started Monday. Upon arrival in Korea in August, they will receive an additional 160 hours of training covering practical housekeeping, child care, industrial safety and sexual harassment prevention, along with education on adapting to life in Korea. During this training period, the caregivers will be matched with households in need of their services.

The government has set up support mechanisms to address grievances and ensure job satisfaction for the caregivers. During the pilot program, the caregivers will reside in designated shared accommodations equipped with emergency alarms and on-site assistance for their safety and comfort. They will be hired directly by a Korean government-certified domestic service provider and will commute to their assigned workplaces. The city government plans to allocate a budget of 150 million won to cover additional costs related to housing, transportation and interpretation.

To handle urgent situations for the caregivers in the program, an easy-to-use emergency reporting system will be implemented, and counseling services will be available through the Comprehensive Support Center for Domestic Services and consultation channels from the Ministry of Labor and Seoul Metropolitan Government. Service users will also be required to watch educational videos on compliance.

Furthermore, households applying for caregiving services through the program will be required to watch educational videos on compliance. Any incidents of violence or harassment will result in permanent exclusion from the services, in accordance with relevant laws, ensuring a safe environment for all involved, according to the Labor Ministry.

The Labor Ministry plans to fine-tune the policy after the six-month pilot, closely monitoring the program. This evaluation may lead to a potential expansion of the program in the future.