Minister visits RoK to increase labour cooperation

Seoul (VNA) – Vietnam’s Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung paid a working visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) from March 16-18 to promote bilateral cooperation in labour.

Minister Dung and the host’s Minister of Employment and Labour Lee Ki-kweon agreed to expand collaboration in labour, employment, social security, labour safety, social insurance, and particularly increasing quota for Vietnamese guest labourers to work in the RoK.

During a working session with RoK’s Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Koh Young-sun, Minister Dung appreciated the RoK’s attention to the implementation of the bilateral comprehensive cooperation agreement in labour and employment.

Dung said his ministry will create favourable conditions for RoK citizens to do business or work in Vietnam.

The re-signing of the regular Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to receive Vietnamese workers under the RoK’s Employment Permit System (EPS) in May 2016 has created a firm foundation for the two countries to promote cooperation in the sphere, he added.

Among nearly 150,000 Vietnamese living and working in the RoK, over 40,000 came under the EPS programme.

The two sides also exchanged measures to reduce the rate of illegal Vietnamese workers in the RoK, increase the quality of Vietnamese employees, and crack down on Korean businesses using illegal migrant workers.

Koh Young-sun said the reduction of workers illegally overstaying their contracts is a crucial factor for the RoK to consider the increase of EPS quota for Vietnamese labourers in 2017 and the following years.

The RoK took note of the difficulties that Vietnamese fishermen in central provinces are facing due to the marine environmental incident in 2016 and pledged to create the best conditions for workers in coastal districts of those localities to join the EPS programme, he added.

The two sides also discussed ways to create employment for skilled workers after they complete their working contracts in the RoK. They agreed that in the long-term, more attention will be paid to the sending and reception of skilled workers.

At a separate working session between Minister Dung and Chairman of the RoK-Vietnam Friendship Association Kim Hack-yong, the host said he will continue to work to develop the two countries’ friendship and cooperation, especially in the field of labour.

Dung affirmed that the Vietnamese government in general and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs in particular will create the optimal conditions for foreign investors, including those from the RoK, to explore business opportunities in Vietnam.

Meeting with chairman of the RoK labour safety association Kim Young-ki, Minister Dung stressed the need to build and apply labour standards for Korean companies operating in Vietnam and raise awareness of labour safety and hygiene for workers.

The RoK pledged to provide training for its investors before entering Vietnam and to support the building of labour safety criteria in the Southeast Asian country.-VNA