Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok Discusses Expanding Personnel Exchanges with Thailand's Minister of Labor

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, discussed expanding human exchanges of workers with Thailand.

According to Jeonnam Province on the 17th, Governor Kim met with Suchat Chomklin, Minister of Labor, in Bangkok the day before to discuss ways to expand human exchanges of workers in shipbuilding, manufacturing, and agriculture and fisheries between Jeonnam Province and the Thai government.

Amid a booming ship order market and worsening labor shortages, this was done to diversify the countries supplying foreign workers, which have been concentrated in Vietnam and Uzbekistan, to Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand.

Governor Kim explained the contents of recent government system improvements proposed by Jeonnam Province, including ▲expanding the annual shipbuilding skilled workforce quota from 2,000 to 5,000 and establishing a separate quota of 400 ▲expedited visa processing for foreign worker introduction ▲introduction of a regional specialized visa system.

He also introduced that there are jobs in various fields including about 1,200 shipbuilding companies such as Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries and Daehan Shipbuilding, as well as agricultural and fishing village workers, and especially that many jobs in shipbuilding will increase until 2025, proposing cooperation with the Thai government.

Minister Suchat Chomklin said, “Thailand has many workers with skills to work at Korean shipyards as well as workers in manufacturing and agriculture,” and added, “Since Chonburi region has many shipbuilding skilled workers and manufacturing workers, I hope to strengthen friendly cooperative relations between Jeonnam Province and Chonburi.”

He also requested interest and support for Thai workers at the Jeonnam Province level.

Governor Kim asked for cooperation from the Thai government so that when companies such as shipbuilding first identify labor demand and request it, agreements for labor introduction between basic local governments and expanded exchanges between Jeonnam Province and Thai metropolitan governments can be realized, and Minister Suchat Chomklin responded by saying to strengthen mutual cooperation going forward.

The province expects to expand exchanges in various fields including foreign workers, tourism, and culture with the Thai government and metropolitan governments based on this consultation.

Minister Suchat Chomklin, who is from Chonburi, visited Korea in June last year and has shown great interest in Thai workers in Korea by visiting companies with many Thai workers.