12 out of 77 workers who went to work for a limited period in Korea for the first time are preparing to end their contracts and return home. These are seasonal workers under a cooperation agreement on sending and receiving workers between the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and the government of Goryeong-gun district, North Gyeongsang province, Korea in 2024.

Mr Huynh Nam picking strawberries at a strawberry farm in Goryeong-gun district, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea

From Korea, these workers share via Zalo that they will celebrate Tet more fully this year than the last year.

Ms Tran Thi Thuy Linh (Hoa Hiep Nam ward, Dong Hoa town) and her husband went to Korea for a short-term seasonal job for the first time in August 2024. It is expected that the 6-month seasonal job will end in early 2025 as per the contract. Via Zalo, she informed that in Korea, they  work as a mulberry farmer 8 hours a day, earning nearly 1 million dongs each person per day. The farm owner takes good care of the living arrangements and meals.

As one of the workers in the province working seasonally in Korea last November, Ms. Nguyen Thi Luom (30 years old, in Hoa Hiep Trung ward, Dong Hoa town) informed that she used to work in a company and then quit her job to grow vegetables, chrysanthemums, marigolds... for sale with barely sufficient income. In Korea, her initial job was cutting leaves and picking strawberry shoots; now she harvests strawberries. The working hours are 8 hours a day with salary of approximately 38 million dongs per month, which can increase to over 50 million dongs with overtime. As she is still adjusting to the job and wants to take care of her health, she only works the contracted hours (8 hours a day).

“Although I had studied basic Korean for about a month through a course organized by Phu Yen Employment Service Center, I encountered numerous difficulties in the first few days of interacting with Koreans. Gradually, things became easier. The farm owner is an easy-going and cheerful person. In addition to the contracted wages, they also support rice and necessities... Thereby, I have more savings to send home for my children's education...", Ms. Luom said.

In order to support job creation for local workers and temporary workers abroad, the Provincial People's Council issued the Resolution No.35/2023/NQ-HDND regulating loans for temporary workers abroad under contracts for Phu Yen workers with local capital. Accordingly, workers going to work abroad can borrow up to 80% of the costs stated in the signed contract but not exceeding 100 million dongs. “This policy helps to solve initial difficulties so that workers can boldly register to work abroad,” shared Nguyen Huu Tu, Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Group of Phu Yen workers working abroad for a limited period of time, phase 2/2024

According to Mr Jeong Jeong Su, Head of the Agricultural Policy Team of Goryeong-gun district, the beginning of 2025 is the peak season for strawberries and farms in Goryeong-gun district need a lot of labor for the harvest. Through direct interviews with two batches of workers in Phu Yen, it is found that numerous workers have agricultural experience and skills, meeting the recruitment criteria. “Every year, Goryeong-gun district needs to recruit from 50 to 100 workers in this field. This is an opportunity to open the door to high-paying jobs for numerous workers in Phu Yen. In addition to the agricultural sector, Goryeong-gun will also have more cooperation opportunities in numerous other fields with Phu Yen”, informed Mr. Jeong Jeong Su.

Mrs Lee Ju Hee, President of Unione Company, the direct labor recruitment unit, lets known: Phu Yen workers are working very well. The company wants to recruit more skilled, meticulous, hard-working, honest female workers who are not afraid of hard work, weather... to do agricultural work on farms.

"In reality, sending workers to work abroad for a limited period of time not only brings economic efficiency but also achieves social goals. In addition to high income, after working abroad, workers also improve their technical expertise, foreign languages, and industrial working style, contributing to the formation of a skilled workforce. After returning home, they can easily find jobs, meeting the requirements of the country's industrialization and modernization", affirmed Mr Nguyen Huu Tu.

Source: Phu Yen Newspaper

Translated by KHUONG THAO