Construction Workers Mutual Aid Association Gwangju Branch, Employment Support MOU for North Korean Defectors

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The Construction Workers’ Mutual Aid Association Gwangju Branch (Branch Manager Lee Sang-hyun, hereinafter referred to as the Association) announced on the 23rd that it signed a “business agreement for employment support in the construction industry for North Korean defectors in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions” with the Gwangju Hana Center (Center Director Lee Jong-man) and the Jeonnam Hana Center (Center Director Kim Jun-oh).

The Gwangju and Jeonnam Hana Centers are “Regional Adaptation Centers” designated by the Ministry of Unification in consultation with local government heads to support the adaptation of North Korean defectors, pursuant to Article 15-2 of the Act on the Protection and Settlement Support of North Korean Defectors. Hana Centers operate in 25 locations across major cities and provinces nationwide.

The Association conducts construction skill enhancement training and free employment support projects. The construction skill enhancement training is a training course by construction occupation aimed at improving the skills of construction workers and helping job seekers acquire construction skills.

The Association entrusts training courses such as masonry, plastering, painting, waterproofing, and welding to 35 training institutions nationwide and operates them free of charge.

The free employment support project is a public job support program designed to alleviate job-seeking costs (such as referral fees) for construction workers. It provides employment at construction sites, recruitment counseling, and free placement services at 17 institutions nationwide, including two locations in Gwangju and Jeonnam, targeting both employers and job seekers.

The main contents of this business agreement are ▲ job creation and employment support in the construction industry for North Korean defectors ▲ strengthening mutual cooperation for education and promotion of each institution’s major projects.

Additionally, a meeting was held to discuss improving the rights of North Korean defectors in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions and creating jobs in the construction industry.

Various stakeholders attended, including Lee Sang-hyun, Gwangju Branch Manager; Lee Jong-man, Gwangju Hana Center Director; Park Ye-seong, Jeonnam Hana Center Secretary-General; and Seo Kyung-soon, Head of the Construction Workers’ Employment Support Gwangju Southern Center.

According to the “Survey on the Settlement Status of North Korean Defectors,” North Korean defectors consider employment and entrepreneurship support as the most important for a better life in South Korea. The attendees agreed to join forces to create jobs and revitalize employment for North Korean defectors.

Since last year, the Association has been steadily working with related construction organizations in the Honam region, including Gwangju Metropolitan City Urban Corporation, LH Gwangju Jeonnam Regional Headquarters, Jeonbuk Development Corporation, Korea Construction Association Jeonnam Chapter, and Korea Housing Construction Association Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter, to create new jobs and nurture construction skilled workers.

Lee Sang-hyun, Branch Manager of the Association, said, “An opportunity has been created to support North Korean defectors residing in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions to participate in construction skill enhancement training and find employment in the construction industry,” adding, “We will continue to strengthen organic cooperation with related organizations to improve the rights of construction skilled workers.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.