Member of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) Sidarto Danusubroto, accompanied by the Secretary of Wantimpres, Sudiman Tarigan, conducted a working visit to South Korea. One of the key activities during the visit focused on the issues concerning Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI).
On Friday, June 28, 2024, Sidarto held meetings with officials at the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul. The discussions covered various topics, including PMI working in South Korea. According to data from the Indonesian Embassy, there are approximately 61,000 Indonesian nationals in South Korea, with 51,000 of them being PMI. Compared to PMI in other countries, those in South Korea are relatively prosperous and receive good treatment from both employers and the South Korean government. South Korean companies also appreciate PMI because they are generally hardworking and rarely cause issues.
It was noted that there are two main pathways for PMI to work in South Korea: through the Government to Government (G to G) program and the Private to Private (P to P) program. Under the G to G program, in early 2023, the South Korean government requested a quota of 8,600 PMI, which increased to 11,000 by the end of 2023. At the beginning of 2024, South Korea requested a quota of 15,000 PMI, with expectations for further increases by the end of the year. The G to G sector includes manufacturing and fisheries. Meanwhile, the P to P sector includes aircraft maintenance, automotive, and opportunities in service sectors such as caregiving. However, around 20 percent of PMI working in South Korea arrived through non-procedural (illegal) channels.
After the meeting at the Indonesian Embassy, Sidarto proceeded to the city of Ansan to meet with PMI. In Ansan, there are approximately 10,000 PMI working in the manufacturing sector, earning around 25-30 million Indonesian Rupiah per month. Many PMI are interested in working in this area. During a dialogue with PMI held at an Indonesian eatery while enjoying fried rice, grilled chicken, crackers, and sweet iced tea, many issues were raised to the Member of Wantimpres, especially regarding the delays of PMI’s shipments to Indonesia, insurance issues, and PMI fatalities in their host countries.
During this occasion, Sidarto conveyed a message to the attending PMI to work diligently, take care of themselves, uphold Indonesia’s reputation, and be law-abiding PMI, avoiding illegal channels and staying vigilant against international crime syndicates that often exploit Indonesian PMI. Always uphold love for the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) and Pancasila wherever you are.
