Imsil County Holds Welcome Ceremony for Group Arrival of Vietnamese Seasonal Workers

"Solving Labor Shortages During the Busy Farming Season"

Jeonbuk Imsil-gun announced on the 26th that it held a welcoming ceremony at the county office's farmer training center to greet 42 Vietnamese seasonal workers who entered the country under an MOU agreement.

Imsil County held a welcome ceremony for Vietnamese seasonal workers on the 25th at the County Office Farmers' Education Center. Photo by Imsil County

To address aging demographics and secure labor during the busy farming season, the county signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Tuyen Quang Province in Vietnam in May 2024. Based on a demand survey conducted in the second half of last year, the necessary workforce was selected and entry procedures were carried out. Additionally, in response to increasing demand for agricultural labor, the county also signed MOUs with Laos and Cambodia in February this year to diversify the supply of workers.

Of the 42 workers who arrived this time, 35 will be assigned to the public seasonal labor center to assist farms that require daily short-term labor for seven months, while 7 will be placed directly with farms where they will live and work.

Afterward, the Vietnamese MOU workers will complete crime prevention and fire safety training, as well as on-site farm practice at the Osu Gwanchon Nonghyup conference room on the 26th. They will then finish administrative procedures such as medical checkups required for their stay in Korea and are expected to start farm work from next month.

The county plans to attract 267 seasonal workers this year, with about 170 entering during March and April when farming begins in earnest. Each worker will sign a labor contract with a farm and be assigned to agricultural work.

In addition, to stabilize the living conditions of seasonal workers, the county will invest 6.8 billion KRW to build a rural dormitory for foreign workers with a capacity of 90 people, scheduled for completion in March next year. The foreign seasonal worker system allows farms to legally hire workers for short periods according to their needs, which has been well received by farmers. It is expected to resolve labor shortages during peak farming seasons and, in the long term, help stabilize labor costs in rural areas.

County Governor Sim Min said, "I sincerely welcome the seasonal workers who have come to Imsil-gun from Vietnam with great hope and expectation," and added, "We will carefully ensure that you have no inconveniences during your stay and provide incentives to diligent workers."