The Vietnam Labour Management Office under the Employment Permit System (EPS) programme officially opened in Seoul , the Republic of Korea (RoK), on December 30.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Vietnamese Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen said that over the past time, her ministry has cooperated effectively with the RoK Ministry of Employment and Labour in many fields, contributing to enhancing the relations between the two countries.

At present, there are 60,000 Vietnamese guest workers in the RoK, including about 53,000 working under the EPS programme.

The office, together with the Labour Management Board under the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK, will act as a bridge for Vietnamese agencies sending workers abroad and their RoK partners to manage and support guest workers as well as encourage them return when their contracts terminate.

Speaking highly of Vietnam ’s strict measures to reduce the rate of guest workers living illegally in the RoK, Vice President of the Human Resources Development Service of Korea Lee Chun Bok said that the two countries are preparing for the signing of an agreement on receiving Vietnamese guest workers again.

He expressed hope that in the coming time, the two sides will continue working together to help Vietnam regain its top position among 15 countries sending guest workers to the RoK.-VNA