On the 17th of April, AustCham Korea participated in the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) Roundtable with Foreign Businesses at the Government Complex in Seoul. Chaired by ACRC Chairperson Ryu Chul-whan, the roundtable brought together foreign chambers and business leaders to raise practical regulatory concerns directly with senior Korean government officials.

Representing the Australian-Korean business community, AustCham Korea CEO Rowan Petz took the opportunity to highlight visa-related challenges affecting member companies. He specifically raised the need to review the E-9 Employment Permit System, which was recently expanded to include the hotel industry.

While the inclusion of the hospitality sector in the E-9 system is a positive step, Mr Petz noted that the current framework remains out of step with the operational needs of hotels. Employers cannot select or interview candidates, hiring is limited to certain nationalities, and the periods for hiring are fixed and cannot easily be changed. These constraints make it difficult for hotels to manage staffing demands and deliver high-quality guest experiences.

Therefore, AustCham Korea called for a review to ensure the E-9 visa system is fit for purpose. Providing hotels with the ability to directly recruit staff would allow them to assess applicants’ communication skills, cultural fit, and service aptitude — key attributes for success in customer-facing roles. More flexible recruitment would also help ease ongoing labour shortages in the industry.

Industry and member advocacy is a core pillar of AustCham Korea’s work. The Chamber remains committed to ensuring the voice of Australian business is heard at the highest levels and encourages any members facing policy or regulatory challenges to contact the Chamber team for support.

AustCham Korea’s position on this issue was also recently featured in The Korea Herald. To read more, visit: https://m.koreaherald.com/article/10468030