A group of 100 Filipino women at Incheon International Airport in Seoul. They are among a batch hired under a foreign domestic worker pilot programme. Many say the high cost of living prevents them saving money. - Photo: EPA via SCMP
SEOUL: Filipino carers, brought to South Korea in September as part of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s foreign domestic worker pilot programme, are finding it difficult to save money because of Seoul’s high cost of living, leaving them with just enough for daily expenses.
A survey conducted by the Korea Federation of SMEs in early October vividly detailed the workers’ various grievances.
One carer said: “My income is so low because weekday shifts are short, so I’m forced to work on weekends too. I haven’t had a day off all week.”
Another, living in a dormitory in the affluent Gangnam area, said: “The dormitory rent alone is 539,000 won [US$410], which is too expensive. With the high cost of living in the city, nothing is left in my account. I’m deeply worried about my family back home.”
The survey revealed that carers are often housed in cramped dormitory rooms of roughly 3.3 square metres (35 square feet).
They complained that the dormitories are “too cramped to move around in”, and the “accommodation costs are too high”.
While some said they were “satisfied with the salary itself”, they noted that “dormitory fees, transport, food, and other necessary expenses are all self-funded”, leaving nothing from their wages.
One September pay stub showed a gross salary of 1.83 million won, from which around 40 per cent, or 710,000 won, was deducted for lodging, communication fees, income tax, and social insurance. This left the worker with around 1.12 million won for food, transport, and other living expenses in Seoul.
A group of 100 Filipino women, who will participate in a pilot government project as carers, at Incheon International Airport in 2024. - Photo: EPA/SCMP
The findings contrast sharply with claims by some Korean politicians that foreign workers remit up to 80 per cent of their earnings to their home countries.
Representative Na Kyung-won of the ruling People Power Party, previously said: “Foreign workers send back most of what they earn.” Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon argued that Korean wages far exceed those in their home countries.
The carers’ testimonies showed difficult working conditions, often involving excessive tasks outside their job scope. The scope of work, which sparked controversy even before the pilot programme began, has become a major source of confusion and dissatisfaction.
The Filipino government had clarified that the workers were skilled carers, not domestic helpers, and made it clear that their household tasks would be limited to child-related care.
In contrast, the Korean government promoted the workers as capable of handling both childcare and general household chores, leading to a mismatch in expectations and growing frustrations on the ground.
The carers said they had no time for proper meals, resorting to eating hurriedly in parks or subway stations while commuting between job sites.
Some faced daily commutes exceeding four hours round-trip, leaving them physically and mentally drained. Frequent visits to multiple households added to the burden, with many saying their time and energy were heavily consumed by travel.
There were also reports of employers demanding tasks beyond the job’s official guidelines, further exacerbating their workload.
The Filipino carers are finding it difficult to save money because of Seoul’s high cost of living. Photo: EPA/SCMP
One carer said: “I was told I’d be a carer, but I’m expected to clean five rooms, including the living room and kitchen, do laundry by hand, and work eight hours straight without rest. It’s so exhausting I feel like crying.”
Another worker said: “I came here expecting to care for children with limited mobility, patients, or the elderly, but I was surprised and confused to find myself doing general household chores instead.”
Despite these findings, the government is pushing to expand the pilot programme nationwide without completing its six-month evaluation.
Labour and civic groups have repeatedly pointed out fundamental flaws in the programme’s design and direction, citing its potential to exploit foreign workers and worsen conditions for domestic workers.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions said: “An indiscriminate migrant labour policy directly harms the employment and working conditions of domestic workers.”
It said that while the domestic housekeeping service industry has long been an undesirable sector because of low wages and poor working conditions, Seoul has chosen to replace domestic workers with Filipino carers rather than improve local wages and conditions.
The statement also emphasised that the programme could lead to both the exploitation of foreign workers and the further deterioration of conditions for domestic workers.
The programme has also faced criticism for lacking indicators that it addresses Korea’s low birth rate, its stated goal.
Criticism has also emerged that the policy disproportionately benefits affluent families.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times. - via SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
