South Korea to resume accepting Vietnamese labourers

The South Korean Ministry of Employment and Labour (MoEL) said yesterday it will re-sign a standard Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on this during its minister Lee Ki-kweon’s visit to Việt Nam tomorrow.

The MoU will be signed by Lee Ki-kweon and Vietnamese Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Đào Ngọc Dung, the MoEL said.

The MoEL suspended the MoU in 2012 due to the high rate of illegal Vietnamese workers in South Korea. The ministry then signed a one-year MoU allowing the recruitment of a limited number of labourers.

The MoEL said the decision comes after South Korean enterprises employing foreign labourers asked their government to re-sign the MoU. They said Vietnamese labourers adapted well to the new working environment and quickly acquired the necessary skills. Meanwhile, Việt Nam has proposed a plan to improve the management of its workers and curb the number of Vietnamese overstaying their visas in South Korea.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has announced illegal Vietnamese workers in South Korea who voluntarily return home from May 1 to September 30 this year will not have to pay any administrative penalties.

The move is aimed at encouraging and facilitating the return of Vietnamese workers and reducing the rate of workers illegally staying and working outside Việt Nam.

During his visit to Việt Nam, the South Korean minister is scheduled to meet his Vietnamese counterpart to discuss Việt Nam’s industrial safety, the labour information system and the labour law. The minister will meet Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam and hold discussions on expanding labour exchange and solving problems relating to administrative procedures in attracting investment.

The MoEL also reported that some 10,000 South Korean employees are working at 3,300 South Korean enterprises in Việt Nam.

It said Việt Nam had recently tightened the process of granting visas to foreign workers, which could create difficulties for South Korean companies who want to send employees to work in Việt Nam.