South Korea’s rapidly aging population has created a pressing demand for elderly care services, but the country faces a critical shortage of care workers. This imbalance has led to a sharp increase in care costs, placing a heavy financial burden on average households.

In response, the Bank of Korea (BOK) has proposed a contentious solution: recruiting foreign workers and offering them wages below the national minimum wage.

The proposal to introduce foreign labor at sub-minimum wages has sparked intense debate, with critics arguing that it undermines labor rights and perpetuates discrimination. Advocates, however, see it as a necessary measure to