Seoul: Foreign housekeepers employed locally under a government pilot project launched two years ago were severely underpaid and had to do extra work that was not agreed upon, a survey showed Saturday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, in September 2024, the Seoul metropolitan government launched its foreign maid pilot program and allowed the entry of 100 people, mostly from Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, to work as housekeepers at more than 150 households in the city. The project, which ended in December last year, was aimed at tackling the shortage of locals willing to work as maids and to support women in continuing their careers.

The survey revealed that respondents received an average of 1.92 million won (US$1,303) in monthly wages during the first six months of the project. This amount was less than half the average monthly payment received by South Koreans in 2024, which stood at 3.74 million won. After deducting costs such as residential expenses and insurance payments, their net monthly wages decreased to only 1.18 million won.

Additionally, some participants reported being asked to perform tasks outside their job descriptions, including washing dishes, caring for pets, and tutoring children in English. Professor Lee Mi-ae of Jeju National University, who conducted the survey, emphasized the need to reevaluate the economic value of child care and housekeeping labor to provide high-quality services and create jobs.

The survey was conducted on 21 housekeepers from the Philippines aged in their 20s and 30s and two of their translators from April to May last year, and published in a journal by the Korea Association for Immigration Policy and Administration.