The headquarters of the Human Resources Development Service of Korea in Jung-gu, Ulsan [Yonhap]
The headquarters of the Human Resources Development Service of Korea in Jung-gu, Ulsan [Yonhap]

South Korea will strengthen drug crime prevention education for foreign workers entering the country under the Employment Permit System (E-9), covering them from their home countries through their arrival in Korea.

The Human Resources Development Service of Korea, known as HRD Korea, signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday with the Korea Customs Service's Incheon Airport Headquarters Customs at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport to support the safe entry of foreign workers and bolster efforts to protect them from drug-related crimes.

Under the agreement, the two agencies will step up prevention education and outreach to ensure E-9 foreign workers are not exposed to drug crimes before they arrive in Korea. The initiative targets all 17 countries that send workers under the Employment Permit System. The agencies plan to deliver drug crime awareness education and outreach both in those sending countries and immediately upon workers' arrival, with the aim of protecting foreign workers from drug crimes and fostering a safe entry culture from the earliest stage of their time in Korea.

The two agencies will also expand cooperation to facilitate smooth entry for foreign workers beyond drug crime prevention. They will jointly develop educational content on customs declaration procedures and clearance, and build a collaborative framework for responding to customs issues that arise during the entry process.

The agencies will also hold joint training sessions and seminars to enhance staff expertise, enabling both to respond more swiftly to customs-related problems that may arise while supporting foreign workers' entry.

HRD Korea has operated a service center at Incheon International Airport since 2004, supporting the entry of E-9 foreign workers. The agency assists with domestic entry procedures while also managing the recruitment of foreign workers to ease labor shortages at small and medium-sized enterprises.

"This MOU is highly meaningful in that it supports the safety of foreign workers from the very airport where they first set foot in Korea," HRD Korea President Lee Byeong-hun said. "We will continue to strengthen cooperation with relevant agencies to safely support the foreign workforce recruitment program."


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