Seoul, January 3:

South Korea announced on Wednesday it will allow some 30,000 ethnic Koreans living in China and the former Soviet Union to work for up to three years in the country.

Currently, about 100,000 ethnic Koreans who have relatives in South Korea are allowed to work here for up to three years.

Under a new visa system starting in March, some Koreans living in China and the former Soviet Union who have no relatives here will also be allowed to work for up to three years, the Justice Ministry said.

This year’s quota was set at 25,000 from China and 5,000 from the former Soviet Union. They must pass a language fluency test, the ministry said.

Some 150,000 illegal immigrants are estimated to be working in South Korea, including 30,000 ethnic Koreans from China. The remaining 120,000 include workers from Mongolia, Pakistan, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries.

Migrant workers take low-paid, dirty or hard jobs, which are shunned by many South Koreans.