Vietnamese migrant workers at RoK's Incheon International Airport.(Photo: VNA) The centre, in collaboration with the Department of Labour,Invalids and Social Affairs of cities and provinces, planned to select around12,000 Vietnamese people to work in the RoK under the Employment Permit System(EPS) this year.
As of now, the number of registered workers has reached 23,412. Ofthat number, 19,228 have registered in the field of manufacturing, 343 in thefield of construction, 1,283 in the field of agriculture, and 2,558 in thefield of fisheries.
Workers have to take a Korean language proficiency test and askill test. The Korean language proficiency test will be taken on a computerand will consist of two sections: listening comprehension and readingcomprehension.
The test has a total of 40 multiple-choice questions, and the timelimit is 50 minutes. The minimum passing score for the first round is 110 forthe manufacturing industry, 80 for the construction and agriculturalindustries, and 60 for the fisheries industry. The maximum score is 200.
The number of candidates who meet the Korean proficiencyrequirements will be selected to take the skills test and will be evaluatedbased on the number of positions available in each industry, with 110% of therecruitment target for each industry being allocated based on the criteria ofhighest to lowest scores.
To prevent cheating during the test, the centre will closelymonitor the workers' identification documents, including their testregistration cards and personal identification papers. Suspected cases of cheatingwill be checked by comparing their identifying features and fingerprint recordson their ID cards, and their registration information will also be verified.
The centre will also use integrated data synthesis software andfingerprint scanners, which will capture photos and fingerprints of theworkers. The fingerprint records will be stored in a database and used toverify the workers' identity at skill testing, orientation training, anddeparture.
Workers who fail to pass the identity verification procedures willbe denied further processing, and those caught cheating will be disqualifiedfrom the programme, according to the centre.
The software will also issue a warning when it detects the sameperson attempting to register for the exam multiple times. Any worker found tohave improper behaviour will be documented and stopped from participating inthe programme for four years.
According to the EPS program signed between MoLISA and the RoK’sMinistry of Employment and Labour, 12,000 Vietnamese workers will be employedin the fields of manufacturing (6,344 workers), construction (901), agriculture(841), and fisheries (4,035).
Vietnamese workers participating in this year’s EPS programme mustmeet requirements such as having no criminal record according to Vietnamese lawand having never been deported from the RoK.
For those who have resided in South Korea on work visas ofnon-professional employment (E9) or vessel crew (E10), the duration ofresidence must be less than five years.
Workers who have previously worked in the RoK under the EPSprogramme must return to Vietnam upon the expiration of their contracts.
Figures from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairsshowed that up to now, Vietnam has sent over 110,000 workers to the RoK underthe EPS programme, with an average income of 1,800 USD per month.
On March 10, the ministry announced the EPS programme with the RoKwould be temporarily suspended for eight districts, towns and cities due to thehigh rate of workers who did not return to Vietnam upon the expiration of theircontracts.
The districts are Nghi Xuan and Cam Xuyen districts of Ha Tinh province;Chi Linh city of Hai Duong province; Cua Lo township, Nghi Loc and Hung Nguyendistricts of Nghe An province; Dong Son and Hoang Hoa districts of Thanh Hoa province.
These localities were reported to have more than 70 illegalworkers residing in the RoK, and over 27% of the labourers who did not returnto Vietnam upon the expiration of their contracts./.
VNA
