South Korea has officially allowed the entry of Vietnamese laborers since May 21, after more than one year of disruption due to the expiration of the two countries' agreement on this issue and the Covid-19 pandemic.

A flight of Asiana Airlines on May 20 night carried 24 Vietnamese laborers to South Korea under an agreement signed by the Vietnamese Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor in March.

This is result of the joint efforts by both countries’ relevant agencies amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is expected to receive more Vietnamese workers this year, the Korean side said, adding that it will receive about 8,200 Vietnamese workers, of them, 8,000 will work in the manufacturing industry and 200 will be in aquaculture.

Vietnamese workers make immigration procedures at Incheon airport in South Korea. Photo: Manh Hung

Son Sung Won, head of the South Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business (KBIZ), who has engaged in supporting Vietnamese laborers since 2001, said that the South Korea’s small- and medium-sized enterprises appreciate Vietnamese laborers for their diligence and skills.

Therefore, Vietnam has always been granted a recruitment quota by South Korea higher than other countries, Son Sung Won added.

He suggested that Vietnamese agencies should pay attention to helping workers quickly finish all necessary procedures to seize post-pandemic labor opportunities.

According to the Management Board of Vietnamese Laborers in South Korea, from March 2020 to April 2021, 5,000 Vietnamese hired by South Korean employers.

The Korean side will at first receive 290 employers who signed their contracts last year and completed visa procedures, and then other 1,600 employees who will complete visa procedure soon to go to Korea.

For his part, Kim Seong Jae, vice president of the South Korea Human Resource Development Agency (HRD) added that there are currently about 19,000 Vietnamese employees under the Employment Permit System (EPS) program living and working legally in South Korea.

He expressed his hope that Vietnamese workers would try to learn Korean language well to improve their communication skills. He said HRD is ready to support if Vietnamese workers face any difficulties.

Vietnamese laborers will be quarantined for 14 days and tested for Covid-19 twice under the host country's regulations. They will also receive vocational training and complete the necessary procedures as soon as possible.