The South Gyeongsang Provincial Government announced Wednesday that it will build public dormitories for foreign workers in Gimhae and Sacheon.

The latest announcement comes as the province was selected to participate in the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s project establishing public housing facilities for foreign workers. With this designation, the provincial government will receive 54 billion won ($36 million) for the project over three years.


The dormitories will mark the first public housing centers for foreign workers in the manufacturing industry. Currently, public dormitories in Sancheong and Geochang are available only to foreign laborers in the agricultural sector.

The facility in Sacheon will be a five-story building with a total floor area of 500 square meters. In Gimhae, a three-story structure with one basement level will be built, covering 600 square meters, the provincial government said.

Both will include support and community centers.

Ninety billion won will be invested in each facility, with construction set for completion by 2027, according to the provincial government.

Gimhae, which reported 13,000 foreign workers last year, is projected to become the most densely populated city for foreign laborers in the province, while Sacheon is expected to attract an increasing number of international workers as the home of numerous aerospace-related facilities, the provincial government said.

The Labor Ministry launched the initiative to create complexes and support services to help foreign workers settle in areas where they are concentrated.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]