At a government meeting on Friday chaired by Lim Ki-keun, who is in charge of policy coordination under the Prime Minister's Office, Kazakhstan became the 18th country entitled to send E-9 visa holders given to non-professional laborers to South Korea under the country's employment permit program, joining Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam.
With the decision, Kazakhstan became the fourth Central Asian country to do so, after Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with laborers expected to arrive here as early as 2028 once relevant procedures are finalized.
The government said Kazakhstan was selected based on on-site inspections and other assessments, with the aim of diversifying such countries amid growing demand for foreign workers in South Korea. Kazakhstan also reportedly promised to cooperate on measures to prevent illegal stays here.
As a separate measure, restrictions will also be eased on foreign workers' movement between construction sites. Currently, workers who are assigned to individual construction sites can move to another site only in limited circumstances, but under the revised rules, they will be allowed to move between sites run by the same employer provided the sites meet the relevant requirements.
At the same time, tougher regulations will apply to employers that violate labor laws. Currently, if a violation occurs at one site, only that site is subject to restrictions. Under the revised rules, the restrictions will apply to all sites operated by the same employer. The new rules will take effect in March 2027 after a six-month grace period.
"The addition of Kazakhstan along with the revised rules will help the government respond more quickly and efficiently to worsening labor shortages at industrial worksites," Lim said.
AJP Takeaways:
- Kazakhstan became the 18th country eligible to send workers to South Korea under the Employment Permit System on Aug. 14, 2026, allowing workers holding E-9 visas to enter South Korea for nonprofessional jobs.
- Kazakhstan became the fourth Central Asian country in South Korea's work permit program, joining Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
- Workers from Kazakhstan are expected to begin arriving in South Korea as early as 2028, after the two countries complete the necessary procedures and establish related infrastructure.
- South Korea will ease restrictions on foreign workers moving between construction sites operated by the same employer, provided the destination sites meet relevant requirements.
- From March 2027, employers that violate labor laws will face restrictions across all construction sites they operate, rather than only at the site where the violation occurred.
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