Japan, South Korea to expand working holiday program
Japan and South Korea plan to allow their young citizens to obtain working holiday visas twice, instead of just once at present, so they can work and live in each other's country longer, Japanese government officials said Thursday.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung are expected to agree on the matter at a summit meeting in Tokyo on Saturday.
The two countries aim to expand personnel exchanges to deepen mutual understanding, as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic ties between them.
The working holiday program between Japan and South Korea started in 1999, allowing people between 18 and 25 to stay in each other's country for up to a year.
The Japanese government issued 21,963 working holiday visas in 2024. Of them, the biggest number, 7,444, were granted to South Koreans, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Of the 30 countries and regions with which Japan has working holiday programs, the government lets citizens of eight countries, including Britain and Canada, apply twice.
The Japanese government is expected to conclude such an arrangement with Taiwan as early as this year as part of efforts to expand the measure gradually.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
