Hwaseong City Signs Agreement with Laos to Attract Seasonal Workers

199 Seasonal Workers to Be Dispatched Next Year
Easing Labor Shortages Expected

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province announced on September 30 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of Laos on September 29 in the main conference room at City Hall to attract foreign seasonal workers and address labor shortages in rural areas.

At the agreement ceremony for attracting foreign seasonal workers in Hwaseong City, Hwaseong Mayor Jung Myunggeun (left) and Anuson Kamsingsabat, Director of Employment Bureau at the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of Laos, are holding up the agreement document. Provided by Hwaseong City

The signing ceremony was attended by Jung Myunggeun, Mayor of Hwaseong, Anuson Kamsingsavat, Director of Employment at the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of Laos, and Soisavanh Uthaphone, Deputy Director of Overseas Dispatch at the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.

Through the agreement, the two parties agreed to cooperate in dispatching and attracting a stable workforce of foreign seasonal workers to resolve labor shortages during peak farming seasons such as planting and harvesting, which have been exacerbated by the aging rural population in Hwaseong City.

In accordance with the agreement, the city will ensure compliance with labor conditions and protection of human rights for foreign seasonal workers who enter the country, and will conduct regular inspections to prevent unauthorized departures. The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of Laos will support all necessary administrative procedures in Laos prior to departure, including the selection of suitable workers and training for the workers.

Under the agreement, the city is expected to receive 199 foreign seasonal workers from Laos this year. The dispatched workers will enter Korea in the first and second halves of next year and be assigned to individual farms.

Mayor Jung stated, "This agreement will serve as an important milestone in stabilizing the supply and demand of rural labor," adding, "Through this agreement, we will strengthen our competitiveness in the agricultural sector and promote mutual development."