“Earned 3.3 million won a month delivering in Korea” ... Crackdown on foreign students’ “lucrative side gigs”

[Financial News] Foreign students caught working in jobs where employment is prohibited, such as delivery, will face deportation or a departure order regardless of how many times they have violated the rules. The government plans to step up enforcement not only against foreign nationals working illegally as delivery riders, but also against companies that hire or arrange work for them.
On the 29th, the Ministry of Justice said that a meeting of the Working-Level Subcommittee on Border, Immigration and Safety, under the Foreigners Policy Committee, discussed a coordinated government response to illegal employment by foreign nationals and related crimes. Representatives from relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Korean National Police Agency and the Korea Coast Guard, attended the meeting.
The Ministry of Justice and the Korean National Police Agency will conduct the crackdown jointly. They plan to investigate not only whether foreign delivery riders are working illegally, but also whether delivery agencies are systematically hiring workers illegally or arranging illegal employment. They will also expand investigative cooperation on unlicensed driving and the fraudulent use of delivery accounts registered in other people’s names.
The standards for penalties against foreign students have also been tightened. The Immigration and Foreigners Policy Headquarters changed its standards so that students found working illegally in restricted fields such as delivery and the entertainment industry will face deportation or a departure order regardless of the number of times they have been caught.
Measures are also being pursued to prevent illegal hiring through delivery platforms. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to establish a system to verify the identity of the person actually performing the delivery work and to overhaul its management and inspection framework for delivery companies.
To prevent crimes involving foreign nationals, immigration offices nationwide designated 69 locations—including areas of public-safety concern and workplaces—for focused enforcement. Police and local governments will also take part, inspecting illegal for-hire transport and unlicensed driving and expanding joint patrols.
In Jeju, brokers who facilitate unauthorized departures from the island, illegal stays and employment are major targets of enforcement. The Ministry of Justice plans to conduct joint crackdowns with relevant agencies while also strengthening information-sharing with the Korea Coast Guard and others.
Lee Jin-su, acting Minister of Justice, stressed the need for relevant agencies to respond jointly to illegal employment and related crimes. He said, “We will work closely with relevant agencies to respond firmly to violations, including foreign nationals working illegally as delivery riders, and create a safe and orderly environment for foreign nationals to stay in Korea, where the public can feel at ease.”
Current regulations prohibit foreign nationals staying in Korea on student visas from working as delivery riders. They cannot do delivery work even if they have permission for part-time employment. Nevertheless, the number of foreign nationals caught working illegally in the delivery sector has risen sharply.
According to data released by Kim Ki-pyo of the Democratic Party of Korea during the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee’s audit of the Ministry of Justice on the 8th, 1,132 foreign nationals were caught working illegally in the delivery sector from January through August this year. That was about 16.9 times the 67 people caught in all of last year. The increased enforcement is also believed to have contributed to the sharp rise in the number caught.
Foreign students also shared accounts of earning substantial income from delivery work. A Vietnamese-language social media post disclosed by lawmaker Kim said, “I earned 3.3 million won a month delivering in Korea while studying.” The person who posted it said they made deliveries for nine hours a day on weekdays and 12 hours a day on weekends.
Posts encouraging foreign students to take delivery jobs were also shared in some online communities. Reports said that posts included not only lists of universities with lighter course loads to make it easier to balance delivery work and studies, but also advice on how to respond to enforcement.
Kim called for stronger oversight responsibilities for delivery platform operators. He said, “Delivery platforms are lax in overseeing illegal employment,” adding, “They should take strong measures, including terminating contracts, against partner companies involved in illegal employment.”


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter