SEOUL - South Korea is increasingly looking overseas for caregivers as its rapidly ageing population drives demand for eldercare workers, but experts warn that recruiting foreign workers will not solve underlying problems in the sector.

Government data projects a shortfall of about 116,000 eldercare workers by 2028, while the Health Ministry estimates that another 990,000 caregivers will be needed by 2043, as cited from The Korea Herald.

At the same time, nearly 2.3 million people have obtained caregiver qualifications but are not currently working in the sector, according to the care workers' union affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).

The figures have prompted labour experts to question whether South Korea is facing a shortage of qualified workers or a shortage of care jobs attractive enough to keep people in the profession.

Jeon Hyun-wook, head of the KCTU-affiliated care workers' union, said the occupation remains demanding despite growing recognition of its importance.

“Although stereotypes against caregivers have subsided, the job remains difficult compared with other careers,” Jeon told The Korea Herald.

Caregivers generally earn around the minimum wage, with limited recognition for seniority or experience, while night shifts and overtime are common in round-the-clock nursing facilities.

“We keep telling authorities that there needs to be better treatment,” Jeon said.

Korea Labor Institute senior researcher Lee Kyu-yong said the large number of inactive qualified workers showed that labour shortages could not simply be attributed to a lack of trained personnel.

“There are a great many Koreans who hold caregiver qualifications.

“They are not going into the field because the wages and working conditions are poor,” Lee told The Korea Herald.

Lee argued that improving employment conditions should come before relying heavily on foreign recruitment.

“Improving caregivers’ working conditions should come first,” he said.

Sookmyung Women's University professor Kim Ok-nyu, who researches migration and care work, similarly warned that recruiting migrants would not automatically make the occupation more attractive.

“The care sector is already one of the occupations Koreans avoid.

“If Koreans don’t want to do the work, migrants won’t necessarily want to do it either,” Kim said.

Nevertheless, the government has begun creating new pathways for international students to enter the sector as part of efforts to secure a longer-term care workforce.

The Justice Ministry and Health Ministry announced in March 2025 that 24 universities would be permitted to offer caregiver qualification programmes for foreign students from 2026.

Under the two-year pilot, participating universities can establish dedicated departments and degree programmes for international students, with courses including customised Korean-language training.

Health Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong said the programme could help address the country's future shortage of caregivers.

“With a shortage of caregivers expected going forward, the foreign caregiver training university programme could serve as a way to secure a stable workforce,” she said.

For foreign students, the programme offers not only professional training but potentially a route towards longer-term residence in South Korea.

Uyanga, a 37-year-old Mongolian student studying global nursing at Sahmyook Health University, said the programme gave her an opportunity to pursue a career she had long been interested in.

“I heard it is difficult to obtain a D-2 visa past your late 20s.

“I am now able to study what I enjoy in Korea, a country I was always interested in,” Uyanga told local media.

Having previously studied veterinary medicine and worked in a processed-food factory in Mongolia, Uyanga said she had developed a strong interest in social welfare and elderly care.

“I am confident that I can provide care and support services to elderly people better than anyone.

“I had a strong desire to work in social welfare, especially in elderly care,” she said.

However, experts say the government must ensure foreign students understand the realities of the profession before entering the programme.

Kim said some students may not have a realistic understanding of the wages, living costs and working conditions they will encounter after graduation.

“They aren’t necessarily studying with an accurate understanding of the working conditions or wages they will face as caregivers,” she said.

She also questioned whether the sector's current wage structure properly rewards foreign students who complete higher education to enter a profession that does not require a college degree for Korean certification.

“If someone has earned at least an associate degree, are they going to receive the same pay as someone with no educational requirement?”

“The wage system itself has not been properly established,” Kim said.

Kim warned that without better salaries and career progression, foreign graduates could eventually move into other industries instead of remaining in eldercare.

“The students need to be given accurate information and asked whether they still want to come.

“Only when they come with clear information can both the foreign students and Korea reduce the risk of harm,” she said.

Lee also criticised the sequencing of the government's approach, arguing that policymakers should first understand the realities of the existing care workforce before expanding foreign recruitment.

“The sequence is somewhat wrong.

“To put it strongly, I think the people who designed this system may not sufficiently understand the reality of the caregiver market,” he said.

He also cautioned that newly arrived foreign caregivers may require additional time to overcome language and workplace barriers, potentially placing greater pressure on existing staff if facilities do not provide adequate support.

Despite the concerns, labour representatives acknowledge that foreign workers are likely to form part of South Korea's response to its shrinking workforce.

“The union had held a lot of debates and there were a lot of opinions on whether we should oppose the government policy to host more foreign caregivers.

“In the end, the union decided we would not oppose it because we are ultimately in a shortage,” Jeon said.

Experts said the focus should therefore be on ensuring foreign recruitment complements broader reforms rather than becoming a substitute for improving the care sector.

Kim said caregiving should be recognised as skilled work because workers are often responsible for elderly people with serious medical conditions and must be able to respond appropriately during emergencies.

“This is work with highly vulnerable people, often people with serious conditions, so the service has to be provided professionally,” Kim said.

She also warned that high turnover could undermine continuity of care if foreign workers use caregiving only as a temporary pathway before moving into other industries.

For foreign recruitment to provide a sustainable solution, experts said South Korea needs better working conditions, clearer career progression and a wage structure that recognises skills and experience.

The challenge is therefore not simply bringing more workers into the country, but creating an eldercare profession that gives both local and foreign workers a reason to stay.