Student handout — Discussion & Debate
Should Foreign Workers in Korea Get a Lower Minimum Wage? A Debate Lesson
Should Migrant Workers Earn a Different Minimum Wage?
Background: In 2024, Seoul brought in a small number of Filipino caregivers through a government pilot program. They were paid Korea's normal minimum wage, but the program sparked an argument: should foreign workers doing this kind of job be paid less, so more families can afford to hire them? Or should the law stay exactly the same for everyone?
Vocabulary
- minimum wage
- caregiver
- shortage
- exploit
- loophole
- fair / unfair
Discussion questions
- Is it fair to pay someone less because they come from a country with a lower average income?
- If the wage were lower, would more families actually hire caregivers, or would workers simply avoid coming to Korea?
- Who should decide this — the government, employers, or the workers themselves?
- Does this connect to any part-time job you've had? How is it different?
Debate task: Argue your assigned side for two minutes. You must use at least three vocabulary words above.