Another trick to cheat Korean labor export
Despite many warnings, many workers still fall into the trap of being tricked into going to Korea to work with low fees, fast flight times, and high salaries.
Blatant scam
At the end of September 2024, close to flight time, nearly 300 workers suddenly received a notice of delayed departure from Educa Vietnam Company and had their flights to work canceled.Korea. Hundreds of workers were in a state of anger because the amount of money each person had paid was up to nearly 300 million VND. They then gathered in front of the brokerage company's lobby to clarify the matter but received only silence. A day later, knowing that they could not escape, the company's Board of Directors returned most of the money that the workers had paid, but the company did not respond to the reason for the flight cancellation, or responded very reluctantly.
A representative of the company said: “The reason for the flight delay is that the workers did not show up according to the previously registered list - while we had committed to the Korean side that there would be no additional or reduced number of workers. At the last minute, many workers did not show up and could not be contacted, so the flight had to be canceled.”
Immediately after the incident, the Department of Overseas Labor Management (Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs) confirmed that Educa Vietnam Company was not licensed by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) to operate a service of sending Vietnamese workers to work abroad under contracts. This is a case involving a large number of workers, showing signs of violating the law and defrauding workers who want to work abroad. In order to promptly handle the case and protect the legitimate rights of workers, the Department of Overseas Labor Management has informed and requested the Hanoi Police and the Hanoi Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to inspect, verify and handle it according to regulations.
This is not an uncommon case as in recent years, many brokerage companies have claimed to be responsible for sending workers to Korea to work under seasonal contracts, then collecting exit fees and making travel contracts for the workers. However, the workers have been waiting for a long time without receiving a flight schedule or the flight schedule has been continuously postponed.
Companies take advantage of the fact that the Overseas Labor Department has seasonal contracts assigned to localities and businesses to use advertising tricks to scam workers. Their method is to send workers over as tourists, then flee and stay in Korea. Worse, many individuals and organizations also scam workers, take their money and then cut off contact.
Mr. Tran Phi Hung - Head of Employment and Occupational Safety and Health Department, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs
According to the information that Mr. Hung shared, recently, although the authorities have repeatedly warned and advised workers, there continues to be a situation where brokers provide information and scam workers who want to work seasonally in the agricultural sector in Korea under the E8 visa.
The Department of Overseas Labor Management affirmed that this is a direct cooperation program between Vietnamese localities and Korean localities, based on the Cooperation Agreement signed between the two localities to select and send local workers to work in Korea under this Program.
To date, 17 localities including Da Nang, Dong Thap, Thai Binh, Ha Nam, Thua Thien Hue, Ca Mau, Quang Binh, Hau Giang, Ha Giang, Lai Chau, Tuyen Quang, Nam Dinh, Dak Lak, Yen Bai, Lam Dong, Bac Lieu and Phu Yen have signed agreements with Korean localities to send seasonal workers to work in Korea under E8 visas.
In localities implementing this program, the selection, documentation, procedures and sending of workers to work seasonally in Korea are assigned by local authorities. Enterprises nationwide do not have the function of recruiting workers under the E8, E9 visa (EPS program). However, many units, individuals and businesses take advantage of information from the program signed between the two countries and launch advertising tricks to recruit many workers who are in need of going to Korea to work.
Workers need to be equipped with information
To avoid being scammed, the Department of Overseas Labor Management recommends that workers who want to work in Korea under the E8 visa seasonal labor program should only contact the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, or the Employment Service Center under the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of the locality where they reside, to find out specific related information. Absolutely do not listen to unofficial advertisements and do not contact intermediary organizations or individuals.
The conditions for participating in the seasonal work program in the agricultural sector in Korea under the E8 visa are that the worker is aged 30-50, is a long-term resident in the locality signing the agreement; is working in the agricultural, fishery sector... "However, when businesses post advertising information online, most of them offer many different occupations, workers do not grasp the information and fall into the trap", said Mr. Tran Phi Hung - Head of the Department of Employment & Occupational Safety, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.
In addition, for the past 2 years, localities have been recruiting workers under the E9 visa (EPS Program) - a program"Exporting labor to Korea under the Employment Permit System". This program was signed between the Vietnamese and Korean governments with the aim of sending Vietnamese workers to Korea to work in industries with labor shortages. According to the program agreement, there are tens of thousands of job positions in Vietnam that will have the opportunity to access the industries you need. However, like the E8 visa program, the E9 visa is only signed directly with localities, meaning that businesses and individuals do not have the right to sign or broker.
Mr. Tran Huu Thuong - Deputy Director of the Provincial Employment Service Center said: Up to now, after nearly 2 years of being opened by the Korean side, the Provincial Employment Service Center has sent more than 3,200 workers to Korea, with a cost of only about 130 million VND/person. All workers going to work under this program must go through the Center. However, the Center still continuously receives information that many workers still register through businesses to fly under the E9 visa, this happens entirely due to the lack of information of the workers.
Recently, the Overseas Labor Center (Colab - a public service unit under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs) warned about fake information related to sending workers to Korea to work. Specifically, scammers impersonate legal labor brokerage companies by creating fake websites or providing fake documents. To gain trust, these people spread the news that they will send Vietnamese workers to work in Korea under the Korean Foreign Workers Employment Permit Law (EPS Program - E9 Visa).
For the Korean market, Colab currently only sends workers to work under the EPS - Visa E9 Program. Workers participating in this program are required to register and pass two rounds of Korean language tests (EPS - Topik) and a skills test to assess their abilities. The organization of the exam is carried out according to the plan of the Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor in agreement with the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. Accordingly, workers register to take the exam through the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs or the Employment Service Center of the province or city where the worker is registered for permanent residence. Information about the Korean language test, contract signing notice, and exit are all publicly and fully posted on the Center's website...
