Controversy erupts over different minimum wage for foreigners and seniors

Proposals regarding varying applications of minimum wage, particularly concerning specific groups such as foreigners or seniors, have sparked controversy as the process to determine next year’s minimum wage officially began.Due to repeated proposals for varying minimum wages, experts are voicing concerns about the potential long-term negative impact on the entire labor market.During a meeting to review recent discussions on public welfare held on Thursday, President Yoon Suk Yeol proposed a plan to employ foreign students and marriage immigrants in household roles, offering wages lower than the legal minimum wage.Yoon argued that this strategy could potentially create job opportunities for approximately 163,000 foreign students and 39,000 married immigrants currently living in Korea, specifically within the household and childcare sectors.He also anticipated that a flexible market, unrestricted by minimum wage regulations, could develop within these employment sectors.A lack of time for childcare and household chores is often cited as a contributing factor to Korea’s declining birthrate. As an initiative to tackle housework and child care, employing foreign workers is continuously being mentioned.

This is not the first time such differentiated wage proposals have surfaced.The Bank of Korea suggested paying foreign caregivers wages below the legal minimum of 9,860 won ($7.29) per hour in a report on March 5.Labor groups strongly opposed this proposal, fearing it would worsen the situation of low-wage caregivers, which is already precarious.Meanwhile, differentiated minimum wage proposals extend beyond foreign workers in housework and caregiver roles.It has come to light recently that 38 members of the Seoul Metropolitan Council introduced a proposal in February to provide wages lower than the minimum wage to people aged 65 and older. This proposal is aimed at revitalizing job opportunities for senior citizens within the context of an aging society.Yun Ki-sup, a Seoul City councilor affiliated with the PPP, explained that considering the trend where employers tend to favor younger individuals under the uniform minimum wage, it is challenging for seniors to secure jobs.Given the challenges, Yun and other city council members agreed to suggest a proposal to exclude seniors from the minimum wage 온라인카지노 requirement.