The Ministry of Justice announced only 80.9% of the total applications submitted by illegal aliens have been accepted to legally stay in Korea through a 3-month assortment period from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30. 
This legalization measure follows the additional clause, “Legislations on the Employment of Foreign Workers” and has been executed to back the Employment Permit System that will be enforced in August next year. Starting from Mar. 31 of this year, aliens who have stayed in Korea less than 3 years are legalized by changing qualifications and foreigner registration methods and those who have stayed for 3 to 4 years are issued with visa issue certificates that legalize their employment after they leave and then reenter Korea. 
Initial submission period was from Sept. 1 to Nov. 15 (2 months and 15 days) but the submission method was changed to first-come-first served basis until late October because of the deter by the Ministry of Labor during the period. Registered aliens during this period have the advantage of extending the term until Nov. 27. 
In consequence to the legalization application, aliens who have stayed in Korea for less than 3 years are a total of 144,091 (88.6% from 162,690 subjects) have completed registration and those who stayed for 3~4 years and registered within the period totals up to 40,108 foreigners (61.6% from 65,067 subjects). A total of 184,199 foreigners are issued with visa issue certificates (80.9% from 227,757 subjects). 
Particularly, Chinese workers take up 55.7% (102,668) of total applicants, and then Korean residents in China take up 39% (72,001), Thailand 8.1% (14,906), Philippines 5.6% (10,338), Indonesia 5.3% (9,860) and Bangladesh 4.8% (8,816). By industry classification total applicants (121,801 (66.1%)) have worked in food industries (29,897 (16%)), construction work (20,194 (11%)), services (9,411 (5.1%)) and also, agriculture and marine industries (2,896명(1.6%)). 
District with the most foreigners working is Seoul with 86,963 aliens (47.2%), Incheon with 44,902 (24.4%), Uijeongbu 29,094 (15.8%), Daejeon 5,732 (3.1%), Daegu 5,327 (2.9%) and Pusan 3,856 (2.1%). 87.4% (16,959 aliens) of total applicants are from Seoul and the Gyeonggi Province. 
The Ministry of Justice plans to principally disapprove aliens changing their work places, but if the employee is in an unavoidable situation as when the employer becomes bankrupted or the company is shut down, workers may change services with the permission from the bureau. Construction workers may not change occupation but may change to another work place by reporting the bureau under the responsibility of his/her employer. Anyone who changes work places more than 2 times will be forced to leave the country. 
The Ministry of Justice forecasts about 490,000 illegal aliens have registered for legalization. 
In addition, the bureau the 2,299 illegal aliens that has not applied for legalizing their stay in Korea until the deadline may be relieved by an additional application period until the end of the year. 
Source: Ministry of Justice, December 3, 2003