The number of foreign workers in Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS), a program helping labor-short small and medium-sized businesses hire nonprofessional foreign workers, reached a record 287,424 in July 2026. Workers receive E-9 visas (nonprofessional worker visas), and 229,844, or 80%, were employed in manufacturing. Agriculture and livestock employed 33,878 workers, fisheries 15,441, construction 6,724 and services 1,410. The total has risen from 159,463 in 2021 to 282,839 last year. Rep. Kim Wi-sang of the main opposition People Power Party said the concentration in manufacturing shows the EPS needs an overhaul as other sectors continue to face labor shortages. The government raised the annual E-9 quota from 69,000 in 2022 to 165,000 in 2024, then cut it to 80,000 this year. Lower quotas and an economic slowdown have reduced local businesses’ applications to hire EPS workers.