The government plans to boost safety inspections of business establishments where foreigners work as it has allowed this year the entry of a record 165-thousand overseas workers in a bid to address serious labor shortage in some industries.

Labor minister Lee Jung-sik unveiled the plan on Monday, while inspecting accommodations of foreign workers at a strawberry farm and a lettuce farm in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province.

Lee personally checked whether the lodgings were up to par with related laws, including their size, as well as firefighting and heating facilities, and if appropriate levels of room and board fees were charged on the foreign workers.

The ministry has annually conducted on-site inspections of foreign workers' lodgings and their employers' labor standards and industrial safety status. 

This year, the ministry plans to carry out such inspections on eight-thousand businesses, up 45-point-five percent from last year.