Filipino housekeepers shouldn’t become nannies in Gangnam.

A 'childcare relief pitcher' for dual-income couples has arrived in Korea. In early Tuesday morning, 100 Filipino housekeepers participating in the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Seoul Metropolitan Government's 'Foreign Housekeeper Pilot Project' entered the country via Incheon International Airport. After completing four weeks of specialized training, they will start working in the domestic care sector on September 3.

Will Korea manage to shed the stigma of having an ultra-low birth rate of 0.6, thanks to the efforts of Filipino nannies? As I pondered this, my attention shifted to where they were staying. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, they will reside in shared accommodations near Yeoksam Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, until the pilot project concludes in February next year. The monthly rent per person is approximately 430,000 to 490,000 won for a single room and 380,000 to 400,000 won for a double room.

I wondered why they were staying in Gangnam, an affluent area in Seoul. The Seoul Metropolitan Government explained that Gangnam-gu is the most accessible among the 25 districts, but I remained unconvinced. However, it started to make sense when I considered the high cost of housekeepers. After all, aren’t most of them likely to work in Gangnam anyway?

It is worth noting that between 1990 and 2000, when the employment of Filipino housekeepers in Hong Kong surged, the labor market participation rate of women with children aged 0 to 5 increased by more than 15 percentage points. In contrast, the Bank of Korea has analyzed that as of 2022, 82% of Korean women in their 20s and 30s are likely to consider leaving the workforce because their monthly salary falls short of 120% (approximately three million won) of housework and child care costs. Korea must also consider allowing private contracts for foreign housekeepers and develop separate management and supervision measures to address issues such as human rights violations and illegal departures. The urgency of addressing these issues cannot be overstated, as it is crucial for successfully integrating foreign housekeepers into the Korean labor market.