Korea's 2026 quota for E-9 employment permit workers is 80,000, down from 130,000 in 2025 and 165,000 in 2024. What the quota coversThe E-9 is the non-professional employment visa issued under the Employment Permit System, available to nationals of the seventeen countries that hold labour dispatch agreements with Korea. It is the visa behind most of the foreign workforce in manufacturing, agriculture, fisheries, and construction. Shipbuilders can still hire E-9 workers, just from the general manufacturing allocation, which is directly relevant in Busan and Ulsan. Returning manufacturers relocating to non-capital areas can now hire foreign workers regardless of company size.