"Up to KRW 6 Million a Month, Chinese Koreans Welcome" ... Taxi Company Posts Driver Recruitment Notice in Chinese Characters Amid Labor Shortage

[Financial News] The taxi industry has begun recruiting foreign drivers as it struggles with a labor shortage.
Recently, a Seoul corporate taxi company posted a driver recruitment advertisement on an online job platform stating, "We sincerely welcome Chinese Koreans."
The company said monthly earnings "vary from KRW 2.3 million to more than KRW 6 million depending on the individual's work arrangement and ability, with average earnings ranging from KRW 3 million to KRW 4 million."
It added, "Even Chinese nationals of Korean descent can work if they hold an Overseas Korean (F-4) visa or a permanent resident (F-5) visa."
The company reportedly said, "We began recruiting Chinese drivers who speak Korean well because the workforce is short due to population aging," adding, "Foreigners already account for 20% of all applicants."
According to the National Federation of Taxi Transport Business Associations, the number of corporate taxi drivers fell by nearly 30% between 2019 and 2022, during the COVID-19 period, and has yet to recover. By contrast, the number of foreign drivers more than doubled.
A survey by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority found that the number of foreign corporate taxi drivers nationwide rose from 54 in 2016 to 122 as of August this year.
Foreign drivers who switched from construction or manufacturing jobs are reportedly filling positions left vacant by Korean drivers who left because wages were relatively low for the demanding work.
The average monthly income of corporate taxi drivers is less than about KRW 3 million, lower than that of delivery drivers, who earn KRW 5.17 million, and motorcycle delivery drivers, who earn KRW 4 million.
The taxi industry therefore maintains that hiring foreign drivers is unavoidable amid labor shortages and an aging workforce. However, concerns have also been raised over safety issues, including communication with passengers and how to screen overseas criminal histories.
[email protected] Ahn Ga-eul Reporter