The government plans to resolve the industrial workforce shortage by increasing the number of countries eligible for a related visa.

The labor ministry announced on Wednesday that the demand for foreign workers under the Employment Permit System is gradually increasing and a review of countries that may be added to the eligibility list is under way with an announcement forthcoming this month.

Since 2015, foreign workers are allowed in from 16 countries: the Philippines, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Myanmar, East Timor, and Laos.

Introduced in 2004, the Employment Permit System allows small- and medium-sized businesses to legally hire foreign laborers when faced with a shortage of employees due to the lack of South Koreans willing or able to work.

Workers from designated countries under the system can enter the country with an E-9 “non-professional employment” visa and work for a set period of time.