Hierarchical Citizenship and Fragmented Integration in Practice: The Case of Filipino Seasonal Workers in Hongcheon and Hoengseong, Gangwon Province, in South Korea

Many Filipino migrants work in manufacturing in Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS), which allows longer contracts. With the introduction of the Seasonal Workers Program (SWP) to address agricultural labor shortages, the Philippines, as a key sending country, deploys Filipinos to work in Korea as seasonal workers. Unlike the state-to-state EPS, the SWP is managed by local governments, offers shorter contracts, and integration programs are largely absent or underdeveloped. This paper examines the SWP through hierarchical citizenship, which stratifies migrants’ rights according to visa type, and fragmented integration, which restricts access to social and economic opportunities. We argue that although full integration—such as permanent residency—is implausible for temporary migrant workers like those under the SWP, integration should not be absent or incidental. We propose a targeted integration framework reflecting their temporary and fragmented status, focusing on securing labor rights, limited social protections, and selective community engagement during their stay.