Naju-si and Vietnam Sign MOU for Introduction of Foreign Seasonal Workers

Published 20 Dec.2022 16:16(KST)

[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] Jeonnam Naju City (Mayor Yoon Byung-tae) announced on the 20th that it signed a business agreement to introduce foreign seasonal workers with Bithan City, Hau Giang Province, Vietnam, at the city hall's Ihwa Room on the 20th.

About 20 officials from both countries attended the agreement ceremony, including Mayor Yoon Byung-tae, Dong Ban Thang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hau Giang Province, and Leu Van Vu, Vice Chairman of Bithan City People's Committee.

Bithan City is the political, cultural, and logistics center (provincial capital) of Hau Giang Province, with 9 districts and a population of 72,000. It has favorable transportation and logistics conditions utilizing the Mekong River waterway network, and agriculture accounts for about 90% of the total industry.

Through the agreement, Naju City and Bithan City of Vietnam will actively engage in exchanges and cooperation to introduce foreign seasonal workers aimed at enhancing agricultural competitiveness and increasing farm household income.

The agreement includes specific details on human rights protection related to the introduction of foreign seasonal workers, support for agricultural exchange projects, worker selection and adaptation training, working conditions, and welfare.

In particular, to prevent worker desertion, the agreement includes items such as worker management by dispatched Bithan City officials and monthly support for local family interviews by Vietnamese police.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae said, “Like the Yeongsan River in Naju, Bithan City is developed in agriculture and transportation centered on the Mekong River, and its geographical and industrial characteristics are similar, which will provide good working conditions for the workers.” He expressed expectations, saying, “Through this agreement, Naju City hopes to receive a supply of quality labor, and Bithan City hopes to benefit from acquiring agricultural technology and increasing income.”

Dong Ban Thang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hau Giang Province, said, “We welcome this great opportunity to learn agricultural technology and will dispatch excellent personnel to Naju to support rural labor.” He proposed, “We hope to actively consider exchanges not only with Bithan City but also with various cities in Hau Giang Province.”

Leu Van Vu, Vice Chairman of Bithan City People's Committee, said, “We are pleased and honored to establish ties with Naju City, Republic of Korea, through the dispatch of seasonal workers.” He added, “We hope this will be an opportunity to expand exchanges beyond manpower to advanced agricultural technology and inter-company cooperation.”

The city confirmed the introduction of 205 seasonal workers in the first half of next year following the completion of the Ministry of Justice's seasonal worker allocation review.

Additionally, if selected for the public seasonal worker recruitment project led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, an additional 50 workers can be allocated, which is expected to greatly help alleviate the rural labor shortage next year.

To resolve the chronic rural labor shortage, the city signed a business agreement to introduce seasonal workers with Guagua and San Luis Cities in Pampanga Province, Philippines, on November 4th.

Prior to the agreement with Bithan City on this day, an agreement to introduce seasonal workers from Bac Kan Province, Vietnam, through a meeting between Mayor Yoon Byung-tae and Nguyen Dang Bing, Chairman of Bac Kan Province People's Committee, held at Lotte Hotel Seoul on the 6th, is also expected to be concluded soon.