On November 21, 2024, at 12:35, LEE SOO-JUNG ([email protected]) reported that foreign laborers who arrived in Korea through Incheon International Airport in 2022 were waiting for their buses. The Korean government has announced that it will ease medical examination requirements for foreign laborers who will work in food factories and eateries, allowing them to join the workforce more quickly. The Office for Government Policy Coordination stated that foreign workers in food hygiene-related jobs can now undergo health screening tests using only their passports. Previously, they had to wait for the Ministry of Justice to issue a residence card, which takes about three to four weeks. According to the Food Sanitation Act, workers in food manufacturing, storage, and handling are required to undergo medical checkups for typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, and pulmonary tuberculosis at district health offices before starting work. The new measure also allows foreign food worker candidates to undergo health screening during three days of occupational training provided by the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, within 15 days of entering the country. This move is expected to expedite the hiring process and help alleviate the labor shortage in the food industry. It may also reduce the financial burden on business owners, as the Ministry of Employment and Labor considers labor to have started once workers begin vocational training. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will pilot the scheme after the Proactive Administration Committee reviews the policy in December. The legal provisions governing health requirements for food workers are expected to be amended by the first half of next year. This initiative will be jointly carried out with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Labor Ministry. BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]
Lun. Dic 23rd, 2024
