South Korea lifts ban: Golden opportunity for Nghe An workers
(Baonghean.vn) - On this occasion, 3 localities of Nghe An, Nghi Loc, Cua Lo, Hung Nguyen, which were previously banned from sending workers to Korea, have just received official letters agreeing to recruit workers from Korea. These are good signs for Nghe An workers in a potential market like Korea.
Opportunities for Nghe An workers
The Overseas Labor Center has just issued Official Dispatch No. 1064/TTLĐNN-TCLĐ on coordinating the organization of labor recruitment under the EPS Program, Phase 1, 2024. Accordingly, Nghe An is one of four provinces whose localities were previously banned and are now allowed to participate in this recruitment.
Korea will recruit 15,300 people in 4 industries. Of these, there are 11,200 positions in the manufacturing industry, nearly 900 in agriculture, 200 in construction, and more than 3,000 in the fisheries industry. This is considered a good opportunity for workers in Cua Lo, Nghi Loc, and Hung Nguyen towns, who have not had the opportunity to go to Korea to work for many years.
Upon receiving this information, Hung Nguyen district sent a dispatch to communes with a large number of workers of working age and in need of exporting labor. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hiep - Head of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Hung Nguyen district said: Currently, we have 18,000 - 20,000 workers working in European and Asian markets, of which 1,000 - 1,200 workers are working in Korea as international students or E7. In 2023, many workers in Korea whose visas have expired have returned to their localities, thanks to which workers who are at home have the opportunity to access this program. Mr. Hiep also said that currently, 1,000 workers in the district are registering to study Korean and orient themselves at the Provincial Employment Service Center to prepare documents in time for the first recruitment round.
Hung Linh Commune, Hung Nguyen District currently has 500 workers working abroad, of which 60 are working in Korea. Mr. Nguyen Van Que - a commune policy officer said: "This time, the commune has 80 people attending Korean language classes to prepare for the recruitment exam. These are skilled workers who have been trained in many companies and businesses in the area, many of whom have even worked in markets such as Taiwan and the Middle East. The locality will create the best conditions, find loan sources and cooperate with the Provincial Employment Service Center to help workers have the best preparation."
Cua Lo town used to be a locality with a large number of workers working and residing in Korea. According to statistics, as of March 2023, there were 212 workers in the town residing illegally in Korea. However, by the end of the year, most of these workers had returned home. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Minh - Head of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Cua Lo town said: Through many measures including propaganda and cooperation from the other side, many illegal workers from Cua Lo town have returned home, creating opportunities to access this high-income market for workers at home. According to a survey, Cua Lo town currently has nearly 2,000 workers who want to go to Korea to work.
Commitment not to reside illegally
As of March 31, 2023, Nghe An province currently has 2,311 workers residing illegally in Korea. Recently, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has coordinated to organize many activities and forms of mobilizing workers to return home according to regulations. Localities directly work with families with workers, and at the same time do not confirm the records and necessary procedures and papers of workers who register to work in Korea when these workers have siblings residing illegally in this country...
After a period of persistent propaganda and mobilization, the number of illegal workers has decreased significantly. By the end of December 2023, 3 localities, Hung Nguyen, Nghi Loc, and Cua Lo Town, were officially announced by Korea to have the ban lifted. "These localities are recorded to have a number of illegal workers residing lower than 70 people, and a high rate of returning home after their contracts have expired," said Mr. Tran Phi Hung - Head of the Department of Labor Safety and Employment, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.
Mr. Vo Chi Cong, in Trung Thanh block, Nghi Hai ward, Cua Lo town, used to work in Korea under the commercial program, which means he took a direct exam with the company on the other side for a period of 1 year. Cong was recruited in the construction industry and had a good income, but he still strictly followed the contract term and returned home after 1 year of working in the land of Kim Chi. In early 2024, upon receiving information that Korea was recruiting workers under the EPS program, Cong immediately registered and is attending a Korean language class organized by the Provincial Employment Service Center.
Cong said: “Korea lifting the ban is a stroke of luck for us workers, and to be able to return to Korea this time, the entire political system must participate in propagating for illegal workers to return home. So, to give my brothers and sisters the opportunity to go to Korea in the future, I pledge to return home on time.”
Vice Chairman of Nghi Hai Ward, Cua Lo Town - Le Ngoc Minh said: Currently, the locality has about 181 people residing in Korea and most of them are workers still under contract for studying abroad, or E7, so the workers who pass the upcoming EPS recruitment will have special commitments to ensure compliance within the 4 years and 10 months period as stipulated in the EPS contract.
According to Official Dispatch No. 1064/TTLĐNN-TCLĐ on coordination in organizing the selection of workers under the EPS Program, workers participating in this recruitment exam must have never been deported from Korea. If they have ever resided in Korea, including legal and illegal residence under Visa E9 (EPS workers) or (and) visa E10 (fishing boat crew), the residence period must be less than 5 years; workers are not banned from leaving Vietnam; and have no relatives residing illegally in Korea.
In case the worker has gone to work in Korea under the EPS Program, he/she must return to his/her home country on time as per the contract. In case he/she has resided illegally in Korea, he/she must voluntarily return to his/her home country during the period when the Korean Government implemented the policy of exempting penalties for illegal residents who voluntarily present themselves to return to their home country. In this case, the worker must be able to present documents proving...
The program of sending workers to work under fixed-term contracts in Korea under the EPS Program is a non-profit program registered in cooperation between the Government of Vietnam and Korea. Nghe An Provincial Employment Service Center is the only unit assigned by the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to perform employment tasks in Nghe An. This is also the only unit assigned by the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to participate in performing tasks related to the EPS Program, including receiving documents and collecting fees according to regulations, specifically: For workers who pass the exam and are selected by Korean enterprises, the participation fee must be 630 USD, or nearly 14,700,000 VND, and a deposit of 100 million VND against evasion at the Social Policy Bank where the worker resides.