Combining Cultural Education and Digital Cooperation
Aiming for Stable Settlement of Seasonal Workers and Global Exchange
Yeongju City announced that it has launched full-scale implementation of the "Culture and Digital Saemaul Pilot Project" in cooperation with Rosales City in the Philippines and the Gyeongsangbuk-do Saemaul Foundation, taking steps to spread the Saemaul Undong movement globally.
Seasonal workers from Rosales City in the Philippines are attending an orientation and receiving training.
This project is a complex exchange program that simultaneously provides education on understanding Korean culture and strengthening digital capabilities for seasonal workers from Rosales City in the Philippines, as well as local residents and youth. It is significant in that it expands cooperation, which had focused on manpower exchange, into education and technology cooperation.
Korean culture education for seasonal workers will be conducted in two sessions. The first session is being held for 10 days from February 20 to March 3, targeting 160 participants, and those who complete the program are scheduled to enter Korea sequentially starting March 5. The second session will then be held from March 25 to April 8 for 151 participants.
The curriculum consists of practical, field-oriented programs necessary for adaptation to agricultural worksites, including basic Korean conversation, social culture, daily life regulations, crop cultivation, and the use of agricultural machinery. In addition, education on the history of the Saemaul Undong movement and its community spirit will be provided in parallel, with the aim of promoting both stable settlement of workers and improved productivity.
At the same time, culture and digital cooperation projects will be promoted step by step, including providing Taekwondo and computer education for youth and residents of Rosales City and establishing smart digital classrooms. The core goal is to strengthen future capabilities of young people and improve community access to information by building digital education infrastructure.
Expectations are high locally regarding the effectiveness of the education. There are assessments that Korean language and practical agricultural training will provide substantial help for adapting to workplaces, and Taekwondo and digital literacy education are also reportedly receiving positive responses from youth and residents.
Kwon Myeongok, head of the Saemaul Volunteer Division, said, "The culture and digital Saemaul Undong is a comprehensive cooperation model that goes beyond supporting seasonal workers to include strengthening the capabilities of local residents and youth," adding, "We will continue to expand various education and exchange programs to promote mutual development and the global spread of the Saemaul Undong movement."
Meanwhile, since 2021, Yeongju City has been promoting a Saemaul overseas pilot village project in Laos, achieving results in improving living environments and increasing agricultural productivity. Through the current project in Rosales City, it plans to expand the scope of cooperation into culture and digital fields and steadily strengthen the foundation for overseas exchanges.
In a situation where competition to secure seasonal workers is intensifying, Yeongju City's approach of combining pre-departure training with cultural understanding is being evaluated as a strategic move to secure both better on-site adaptation and higher productivity. In particular, the model that combines digital education with the spread of community values is drawing attention as a policy experiment aimed at resolving labor shortages in local rural areas and building a foundation for global cooperation.
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