About 170,000 illegal aliens have registered at Employment Security Centers, which is slowly drawing near to 80% of the estimated total illegal aliens. 
On Oct. 29, the Ministry of Labor reported that 174,753 illegal workers have registered at Employment Security Centers to legally work in Korea. This is about 77.0% of the total illegal workers who need registration by Oct. 31. 
Aliens who submitted employment confirmations total 154,244 (67.9%) and those who were issued with work permits sum up to 146,709 (64.6%). 
The largest difference between foreigners with immigrant confirmation, employment confirmation and work permits, is that most foreigners with immigrant confirmation are either employed at places they are not permitted to work at or are jobless. 
The Ministry of Labor has taken measurements of handing out number tickets to those who have waited for registration until the deadline at 6 o’clock on Oct. 31. Those who have received the number tickets may continue their registrations on Nov. 1, the following day. 
An official said, “Because of plans to introduce job opportunities to foreigners who have registered legally, the confirmation rate for immigration must be high. Illegal aliens on the last day, Oct. 31, will raise the rate to our target of 90%.” 
Source : Yonhap News Agency, November 30, 2003