JAKARTA - The South Korean government will allow eligible small businesses in 89 depopulating regions hire 1 F-2-R regional-talent foreign worker even when they do not already employ Korean staff, the Ministry of Justice said in a policy notice published on May 12. 

The rule change gives rural employers a narrower path around a hiring condition that has been difficult to meet in shrinking areas. Under the existing F-2-R arrangement, foreign hiring has been tied to the number of Korean employees at a business. The ministry said that the requirement has limited use of the visa in regions already struggling to recruit local workers.

The exception will cover small manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, restaurants, and agricultural corporations in designated depopulating regions. Qualifying businesses must generally have operated for at least 3 years and posted at least KRW100 million, about US$72,000, in sales during the previous year. Firms below that annual level may still qualify when their 2-year average sales reach KRW100 million.

The ministry said the 89 covered regions span 11 provinces and metropolitan areas with the largest counts in South Jeolla, North Gyeongsang, Gangwon, and South Gyeongsang. The exception is scheduled to take effect on May 18. 

The pilot will run from May 18 this year to December 31, 2027. Employers then must sign a labour contract, obtain a regional-talent visa recommendation from the relevant metropolitan or provincial government, and receive immigration approval before the worker starts.

The measure follows the Justice Ministry’s 2030 Immigration Policy Future Strategy, released on March 3 this year. That plan listed the small-business exception for depopulating regions alongside other labour and settlement policies, including skilled agricultural and fisheries visas, new technical-worker pathways, and regional immigration support.

Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho said at the March 3 briefing, “We will move quickly so that immigration policy can contribute to the livelihood economy”.