Is South Korea’s ‘metropolitan visa’ for shipbuilding worth the cost of foreign labour?

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has sparked intense debate with his comments on the “metropolitan visa” policy, aimed at supplying foreign labour to the country’s industrial regions. The controversy escalated after President Lee openly criticised the shipbuilding industry’s reliance on low-wage foreign workers during a visit to Ulsan, a hub for the nation’s maritime sector. His remarks have divided stakeholders. Local governments and businesses view the visa as a desperate measure to solve...