SEOUL — The Seoul city government has initiated a pilot project involving 157 families and domestic helpers from the Philippines, aimed at mitigating childcare burdens and encouraging a higher birth rate, officials announced Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this selection comes after 751 households applied to participate in the program, which welcomed its first group of 100 female Filipino workers last week. The project targets families with specific needs: approximately 62 percent of those chosen have working parents with multiple children, 9 percent are expecting a new baby soon, and 4.5 percent are single-parent households. Notably, nearly 38 percent of the selected families reside in the wealthier districts of southern Seoul, such as Gangnam and Seocho.
The service is scheduled to commence on September 3, following the finalization of all necessary paperwork. While the program is part of a broader strategy to address South Korea's declining birth rate, it has faced some criticism from potential users, particularly regarding the cost and scope of work. The monthly wages for these foreign helpers are pegged at 2.38 million won (approximately US$1,748), calculated based on an eight-hour workday at the current legal minimum wage of 9,860 won per hour—nearly half the median monthly income for families in their 30s.
Furthermore, the Seoul government is seeking a special exemption from the minimum wage laws from the justice ministry for these workers, awaiting a decision. There is also ambiguity in the job scope for these domestic helpers, primarily restricted to childcare tasks like feeding, bathing, and babysitting, with specific prohibitions against tasks like cooking for adults or general house organizing. This categorization has led to concerns about practical implementation.
The city, in collaboration with the labor ministry, plans to establish a support system to address any complaints from both the immigrant workers and the families using the service throughout the duration of the pilot.