Fourteen Seasonal Workers from Nam Dinh Province Reach Jeju Island in South Korea

The first group of seasonal workers from Nam Dinh, a province in northern Vietnam, arrived in Jeju island, South Korea on July 13 as part of a cooperation agreement between the two local authorities, according to VNA. A total of 14 workers entered the country through Jeju International Airport under the Seasonal Worker Programme of the Korean Ministry of Justice.

Upon their arrival, the workers received training on emergency response, preventing human rights violations, and fighting crimes against foreign workers. They will be employed by local farms that have also been trained on regulations for hiring foreign workers under the programme.

The ageing population and low birthrate in South Korea have created a shortage of farm laborers. Therefore, the country is actively recruiting workers from other countries, such as Vietnam. Jeju island signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nam Dinh province to address its labor shortage. Jeju island is responsible for assisting with the visa process and protecting the legal rights of foreign workers, while Nam Dinh province supports recruitment, training, dispatching, and receiving labor.

This year, Jeju island needs 867 foreign seasonal workers, and it has signed an agreement with Nam Dinh province for 264 workers. Vietnamese competent agencies are also working to increase the number of guest workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS). Last year, Vietnam sent nearly 9,000 workers to South Korea under the EPS programme, and it is expected that up to 10,000 workers will be sent this year. The workers will receive training to help them integrate into the host society.