The Korean Ministry of Employment and Labour said the country has plans to employ about 110,000 migrant workers this year to work at its farms and factories, but some businesses believed even more will be needed to keep them running.
Apart from working to raise the number of guest workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS), Vietnam's competent agencies have also discussed with Korean relevant units to loosen conditions, making it easier for shipbuilding workers to enter the RoK. Vietnam's labour management board in the RoK has also coordinated with the Vietnam EPS Labour Management Office and support centres for guest workers to diversify communication and support activities.
Last year, Vietnam sent nearly 9,000 workers to the RoK under the EPS programme, out of 70,000 set for 16 selected countries. Head of the EPS Vietnam Office in the RoK Pham Minh Duc said up to 10,000 Vietnamese guest workers are expected to be sent to the RoK this year.
The office will coordinate with the labour management board and the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK to provide training for the workers, helping them quickly integrate into the host society.
Joint efforts will also be made to popularise the Korean laws among the guest workers, and more measures will be taken to support them, he said. After the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, the Vietnam Centre for Overseas Labour helped to send 138 workers to the RoK, and received dossiers of nearly 6,000 others that satisfy Korean language requirements./
