Yet another scam involving labor export to South Korea.

Blatant fraud

At the end of September 2024, just before their scheduled departure, nearly 300 workers unexpectedly received a notice from Educa Vietnam Company postponing their departure and canceling their flight to work in Indonesia.KoreaHundreds of workers were outraged because each of them had paid nearly 300 million VND. They then gathered in front of the brokerage company's lobby to demand clarification, but received only silence in return. The following day, realizing they couldn't escape the situation, the company's management returned most of the money the workers had paid, but the company either did not respond or gave very evasive answers regarding the reason for the flight cancellation.

A representative from the company stated: "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 increase or decrease in the 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 following the incident, the Department of Overseas Labor Management (Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs) confirmed that Educa Vietnam Company was not licensed by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to operate services for sending Vietnamese workers abroad under contract. This case involves a large number of workers and shows signs of violating the law and defrauding workers seeking overseas employment. To promptly handle the case and protect the legitimate rights of the workers, the Department of Overseas Labor Management informed and requested the Hanoi City Police and the Hanoi Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to investigate, verify, and handle the matter according to regulations.

This is not an uncommon occurrence, as in recent years many brokerage companies have falsely claimed to be able to send workers to South Korea for seasonal contract work, then collect exit fees and arrange travel contracts for the workers. However, the workers wait indefinitely without receiving flight schedules, or their flights are repeatedly delayed.

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Companies are taking advantage of the fact that the Department of Overseas Labor has seasonal contracts allocated to localities and businesses, using deceptive advertising tactics to defraud workers. Their method involves bringing workers over under the guise of tourism, then absconding and staying in South Korea. Worse still, many individuals and organizations are defrauding workers of their money and then cutting off all contact.

Mr. Tran Phi Hung – Head of Employment & Occupational Safety Department, Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs

According to information shared by Mr. Hung, recently, despite repeated warnings and recommendations from authorities, brokers continue to deceive and defraud workers seeking seasonal agricultural work in South Korea under the E8 visa category.

The Department of Overseas Labor Management affirms that this is a direct cooperation program between Vietnamese and Korean localities, based on a 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 localities in South Korea to send seasonal workers to work in South Korea under the E8 visa.

In localities implementing this program, the selection, processing of documents, procedures, and sending of seasonal workers to South Korea are handled by the assigned local authorities. Businesses nationwide are not authorized to recruit workers under the E8 and E9 visa categories (EPS program). However, many organizations, individuals, and businesses are exploiting information from the program signed between the two countries and using advertising tactics to recruit many workers who are seeking employment in South Korea.

Workers need to be informed.

To avoid being scammed, the Department of Overseas Labor Management advises workers wishing to work in South Korea under the E8 visa seasonal labor program to contact only the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, or the Employment Service Center under the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs in their locality of residence to obtain specific information. They should absolutely not listen to unofficial advertisements and should not contact intermediary organizations or individuals.

The requirements for participating in the seasonal agricultural work program in South Korea under the E8 visa are that the worker must be between 30 and 50 years old, a long-term resident of the locality signing the agreement, and currently working in the agricultural or fisheries sectors. “However, when businesses advertise online, they often present information about various professions, and workers, lacking information, fall into the trap,” said Mr. Tran Phi Hung, Head of the Employment & Occupational Safety Department, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

In addition, for the past two years, localities have been recruiting workers under the E9 visa (EPS program) - a program"Exporting labor to South Korea under the Employment Permit System"This program was signed between the Vietnamese and Korean governments with the aim of sending Vietnamese workers to South Korea to work in industries facing labor shortages. According to the agreement, tens of thousands of job opportunities in Vietnam will be available in the sectors needed by South Korea. However, similar to the E8 visa program, the E9 visa program is also only signed directly with local authorities, meaning businesses and individuals do not have the right to sign or act as intermediaries.

Mr. Tran Huu Thuong, Deputy Director of the Provincial Employment Service Center, stated: To date, after nearly two years since South Korea opened its doors to workers, the Provincial Employment Service Center has sent over 3,200 workers to South Korea, at a cost of approximately 130 million VND per person. All workers going to work under this program must go through the Center. However, the Center continues to receive reports that many workers still register through businesses to fly under the E9 visa category. This is entirely due to a lack of information among the workers.

Recently, the Center for Overseas Labor (Colab - a public service unit under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs) issued a warning about fraudulent information related to sending workers to South Korea. Specifically, scammers impersonate legitimate labor brokerage companies by creating fake websites or providing forged documents. To gain trust, these fraudsters spread rumors that they will send Vietnamese workers to South Korea under the Korean Employment Permit System for Foreign Workers (EPS Program - Visa E9).

For the Korean market, Colab currently only sends workers to work under the EPS Program - E9 Visa. Workers participating in this program are required to register and pass two rounds of Korean language tests (EPS - Topik) and a skills assessment test. The examinations are conducted according to a plan agreed upon by the Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Vietnamese Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. Workers register for the exams through the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs or the Employment Service Center of the province or city where they are registered as residents. Information regarding the Korean language exam, contract signing, and departure is publicly and fully posted on the Center's website...