Seasonal work in South Korea

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Le Nguyen Huyen Trang, in implementing Resolution 59/NQ-CP dated April 27, 2022, of the Government on continuing the pilot program of sending workers to work seasonally in South Korea through cooperation between localities of the two countries, the Department has advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue Official Letter No. 1659/UBND-KGVX dated April 9, 2024, to implement the above content. This is considered a new and effective direction in contributing to job creation and poverty reduction for local workers.

The Provincial Employment Service Center provides vocational skills training for workers going to work in South Korea under contract - Photo: TU LINH

For many years, Quang Tri has been one of the localities that has successfully implemented the program of sending workers abroad for fixed-term employment under contract. In 2023, the entire province had 2,800 workers going to work abroad under fixed-term contracts, including 800 to Taiwan; 1,511 to Japan; 473 to South Korea; and 16 to other markets. In 2024, the province will continue to implement the program of sending workers abroad for fixed-term employment under contract.

Currently, the province is paying close attention to implementing Resolution 59/NQ-CP dated April 27, 2022, of the Government. This pilot project is being implemented on the basis of a cooperation program between Vietnamese and Korean localities in a non-profit format. Following the directives of the Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee, and with input from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Provincial Police, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, guidance has been provided to the People's Committees of districts, towns, and cities, as well as relevant units, on the necessary steps to exchange and sign agreements and implement the contents of the agreements.

To ensure the successful implementation of the pilot program, protect the legitimate rights and interests of workers, and prevent contract violations and illegal residency, localities must conduct direct recruitment of workers who meet the criteria of being between 30 and 55 years old, long-term residents of the locality, possessing full legal capacity, having no criminal record, and not being subject to exit bans or temporary travel restrictions as stipulated by law; being in good health to work abroad; and currently working in agriculture or fisheries.

In addition, the organization will provide Korean language training and orientation education for workers before their departure; publicly and transparently disclose all costs related to Korean language training, health checks, administrative procedures for workers, and any support costs from the local budget.

At the same time, implement measures to ensure that workers fulfill their contracts correctly, in accordance with the local situation and domestic law; agree with the receiving party on measures to restrict the recruitment of workers whose relatives are residing or working illegally in South Korea to limit the number of workers abandoning their contracts to work illegally.

Currently, there is a huge demand for seasonal work in South Korea due to the advantages of this program. However, many workers are still unclear about the program's details, leading to difficulties and even scams when seeking short-term employment in South Korea. Many organizations and individuals without licenses to send workers abroad still advertise recruitment with attractive conditions such as quick departure, low costs, and guaranteed acceptance upon application.

In Quang Tri, although this situation has not yet occurred, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has proactively issued warnings to help workers better understand the situation: this program is implemented on a non-profit basis and is not entrusted to businesses to send workers abroad in any form. Therefore, workers need to find out information and only register to participate in this program through local authorities such as the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Employment Service Center; they should not register with any other intermediary organizations or individuals.

According to Ms. Le Nguyen Huyen Trang, one of the most challenging issues of the program is that some Vietnamese workers abscond after arriving in South Korea. According to South Korean regulations, the recruitment and dispatch of seasonal workers from foreign localities will be considered annually if the previous year's rate of seasonal workers abandoning their contracts exceeds 10%, and the acceptance of workers from countries with a total rate of seasonal workers abandoning their contracts exceeding 50% will also be considered.

The absconding of Vietnamese workers has many negative consequences, affecting the reputation of international cooperation with South Korea and potentially leading to a halt in accepting more workers; narrowing job opportunities for thousands of workers, creating anxiety, and setting a bad precedent for workers currently working in South Korea.

Therefore, before signing agreements to send workers to work seasonally in South Korea, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs requests the People's Committees of districts, towns, and cities to consider and develop optimal plans to prevent workers from absconding while working seasonally in South Korea.

Doing this well will help the province avoid becoming a locality with a high number of illegal migrant workers in South Korea and a high rate of workers whose contracts have expired but do not return home on time. In that case, South Korea would temporarily suspend the recruitment of workers from Quang Tri to work in South Korea, which would affect the province's efforts to send workers abroad under contract through other programs.

"Seasonal work in South Korea is a new direction for laborers from Quang Tri province. However, localities should pay special attention to developing the most optimal plan for implementing this," Ms. Huyen Trang emphasized.

Tu Linh

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/lam-viec-thoi-vu-o-han-quoc-huong-di-moi-cho-lao-dong-quang-tri-186392.htm