No more than 130-thousand foreign laborers will be allowed into the country through the employment permit system next year, 35-thousand fewer than this year. 

The lower ceiling on the number of E-9 nonspecialist work visas was announced Friday during a meeting presided over by policy coordination minister Bang Ki-sun.

While the government had gradually raised the threshold from 70-thousand to 165-thousand in response to labor shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, it made the downward adjustment to reflect the current economic situation and reduced demand for E-9 workers.

Of the 130-thousand E-9 visas issued in 2025, 98-thousand will be for workers in specific industries, with 72-thousand allocated for manufacturing sector employees. 

Vice labor minister Kim Min-seok said the government intends to continue to seek systemic improvements to dispatch foreign workers when and where they are needed most.