KUALA LUMPUR - The Korean government has expanded its visa program to allow foreign workers in 15 sectors of the aquaculture industry, aiming to address severe labour shortages.

Previously limited to sea cucumber farming, eligibility for foreign aquaculture workers now includes laver, kelp, mussels and other species  as reported by The Korea Times.

About 200 foreign workers can be employed annually, with requirements including a bachelor’s degree in fisheries or an associate degree with two years of relevant experience, or five years’ experience without a degree.

Employers must pay at least 80 per cent of the previous year’s per capita gross national income, with further expansion contingent on a two-year pilot programme.

Acting Oceans Minister Kim Sung-bum said the policy would help ease chronic labour shortages and allow operators to secure skilled workers promptly.

Aquaculture, described as the “farming of the sea,” involves the controlled cultivation of fish, shellfish and seaweed, providing a sustainable alternative to wild-capture fishing.

The expansion is part of broader government measures to counter Korea’s low birthrate and rapidly ageing population, which saw people aged 65 and above surpass 21 percent last year.

Korea’s total fertility rate stood at 0.75 in 2024, well below the OECD average of 1.51 reported in 2022, intensifying the workforce gap.

The government has also widened the Employment Permit System, initially for delivery services in 2023, to cover restaurants, hotels and condominiums in 2024.

E-9 visa holders can now take on customer-facing roles in restaurants, in addition to kitchen duties, while E-7 skilled employment visa holders can move directly into jobs outside their original field after completing specialised work-study programmes.

These measures aim to secure skilled labour across industries while adapting to demographic challenges and an ageing domestic workforce.