Newsnomics AJAY ANGELINA reporter | About 2,000 foreign workers were put into operation sites in the shipbuilding sector in February, which are suffering from chronic shortages of labor despite the boom, giving

them a breath of fresh air.

The Ministry of justice along with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has announced the results of visa screening for foreign workers in the shipbuilding sector on February 5, 2023. 

According to the report, the Ministry of Justice completed 1798 visa screenings for foreign skilled workers

(E-7) in response to the 2257 employment recommendations of the Ministry of Industry since April 2021 and a total of 1047 visa screenings for low-skilled workers (E-9) in the shipbuilding sector were conducted in Jan-

uary.”

In conclusion, a total of 2,000 foreign workers with E-7 and E-9 qualifications can be deployed to the ship

building industry this month.

Currently, the domestic shipyards are experiencing a boom, securing two to three years’ worth of work. How

ever, a shortage of skilled workers such as welders, who had fled the site during the past shipbuilding industry downturn, has not been recruited, and a shortage of manpower is holding back. 

According to the Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Plant Association, the number of domestic shipyard man

power, including subcontractors, decreased by more than half from 203,000 in 2014 to 92,000 last year 2022.

In response, by reflecting the request of the shipbuilding industry, the government has reformed the visa

system for foreign workers by abolishing the annual quota system for welders and painters and easing the

standards for employment of employers from three years to one year.

In addition, international students who studied shipbuilding at domestic universities have been exempted

from verification of practical skills when applying for an E-7-3 visa, which is issued for general skilled workers

such as welders, painters and electricians.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, “The period of employment recommendation by the Ministry of Industry and the visa review period by the Ministry of Justice have been significantly shortened, so the

review speed from employment recommendation to visa issuance has become very fast compared to the

past.”