51 Additional Foreign Seasonal Workers from Dong Thap Province, Vietnam Arrive
Assigned to 41 Farms... Around 260 More Expected in April, May, and September
With the busy farming season approaching, the foreign seasonal worker program in Yeoncheon-gun is gaining momentum, revitalizing local farms struggling with labor shortages.
Yeoncheon-gun held the 2nd Foreign Seasonal Workers and Farmers Meeting on the 11th at the 3rd-floor auditorium of the Agricultural Technology Center, attended by 51 foreign seasonal workers from Dong Thap Province, Vietnam, and 15 farm owners, followed by a commemorative photo session. Provided by Yeoncheon-gun
On the 12th, Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province, announced that on the 11th, it held the 2nd foreign seasonal worker-farmer meeting at the auditorium on the 3rd floor of the Agricultural Technology Center, attended by 51 foreign seasonal workers from Dong Thap Province, Vietnam, and 15 farm owners.
The workers arrived at 6:30 a.m. that day via Incheon International Airport, and before the meeting, Yeoncheon-gun conducted education sessions for the workers on understanding Korean culture, human rights protection, and legal matters.
At this foreign seasonal worker-farmer meeting, Nguyen Phu Hieu, Director of the Labor, War Veterans and Social Affairs Department of Dong Thap Province, Vietnam, Duong Tan Phuong, Deputy Director, and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Ngan, Officer, attended to encourage the workers. Yoon Dong-seon, Director of Industrial Welfare, and Kim Gwan-jong, Director of Agricultural Policy, also participated to facilitate the meeting between farmers and workers.
Amid the rural labor shortage and rising labor costs that have been increasing farmers' difficulties, the foreign seasonal worker program allows farms to contract workers only for the necessary period. Additionally, farms can rehire the same workers annually upon request, resulting in high farmer satisfaction and a continuous increase in demand.
Kim Deok-hyun, Mayor of Yeoncheon-gun, stated, “With over 3,500 farmers in Yeoncheon-gun, we will expand agricultural labor support projects so that stable agricultural labor supply enables timely farming, leading to increased farm income and allowing farmers to dedicate themselves to agricultural management with pride as residents of Yeoncheon-gun.”
Meanwhile, starting with the arrival of 73 foreign seasonal workers in the first week of March, an additional 51 workers arrived on this day and were assigned to 41 farms in the area. Approximately 260 more foreign seasonal workers are expected to arrive in three additional waves in April, May, and September.
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