A pilot program pertaining to childcare is being pursued in Korea that will allow Southeast Asian domestic helpers to work in Seoul and parents are asking themselves if they would be willing to hire a foreign nanny for a cheaper fee. Seoul’s mayor suggested the idea last September as a way to boost the country’s record-low birthrate. Government officials were instructed to push for the measure by the president in May. Hong Kong and Singapore both introduced the foreign domestic worker system in the ’70s. Parents have argued that cost should not be the sole focus when considering childcare, but the government should remember that the clients are infants, toddlers, and children, and the long-term impact of the system is yet to be revealed.
