Philippine participants in the pilot project for foreign housekeepers of the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Aug. 6, 2024, enter Incheon International Airport. (Seoul Metropolitan Government)

By Yoo Yeon Gyeong

The number of expats with the E-9 (non-professional employee) visa last year broke 300,000 for the first time, with around half of them earning an average monthly income of KRW 2 million to KRW 3 million.

Statistics Korea and the Ministry of Justice on March 18 released the results of a study on the status of immigration and employment showing that the number of E-9 holders reached a record-high 303,000 last year.

By sector, mining and manufacturing employed the vast majority of such workers (80.5%), followed by agriculture, forestry and fisheries (14.4%), and construction (3%).

In average monthly income, 51.2% of the workers earned KRW 2 million to KRW 3 million and 37.1% over KRW 3 million. Additionally, 70.8% of those on the E-9 earned KRW 2 million to KRW 3 million per month.

Foreign residents gave an average rating of 4.3 out of five in overall satisfaction with life in Korea. By visa type, E-9 holders had the highest score with 4.4, while that of those on working holiday, international students and ethnic Koreans from abroad (4.2) fell under the average.

dusrud21@korea.kr