Filipino carers, brought to South Korea in September as part of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s foreign domestic worker pilot programme, are finding it difficult to save money because of Seoul’s high cost of living, leaving them with just enough for daily expenses.
A survey conducted by the Korea Federation of SMEs in early October vividly detailed the workers’ various grievances.
One carer said: “My income is so low because weekday shifts are short, so I’m forced to work on weekends too. I haven’t had a day off all week.”
Another, living in a dormitory in the affluent Gangnam area, said: “The dormitory rent alone is 539,000 won [US$410], which is too expensive. With the high cost of living in the city, nothing is left in my account. I’m deeply worried about my family back home.”
The survey revealed that carers are often housed in cramped dormitory rooms of roughly 3.3 square metres (35 square feet).
