CNI News

1 Feb 2024

South Korea has not contacted to recruit seasonal workers from Myanmar for 2024, U Nyunt Win, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Labour, CNI News.

Although Myanmar and South Korea have discussed to recruit seasonal workers from Myanmar, there has been no contact from South Korea up to now, he said.

" It's right that we have discussed. They have offered to recruit seasonal workers from Myanmar. But they haven't contacted. If they contact, we will continue in accordance with the rules and procedure. If they don't contact, we can't send the workers." he said.

Myanmar amd South Korea have signed an MoU to send seasonal workers from Myanmar and the Ministry of Labor has allowed to send Myanmar workers to South Korea, Ministrty of Labor told media on 19th December 2023.

He did not want to tell whether it was right or not that Myanmar was not included in the countries from which seasonal workers would be recruited by South Korea, U Kyunt Win told CNI News.

According to South Korean newspapers,  South Korea have agreed to call seasonal workers from Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia and Laos. But Myanmar was not included.

Migrant workers who came to South Korea to work as seasonal workers _ their rights have been increasingly violated since last year, Ko Khant Nay Kyi, in charge of the centre for supporting migrant workers, told CNI News.

There are 15 countries that have agreed with South Korea to send workers on E9 (labor hiring system) visas. However, not all the 15 countries have been included in the countries from which seasonal workers must be sent to South Korea. So,  it was too early to say whether Myanmar was included in the countries that must send seasonal workers, he said.

" The companies that send workers abroad want to hear that South Korea is going to call workers so that they can have gathered workers and asked money. Seasonal workers have faced labor rights and human rights violations since last year. This is a testing system only. There were not many problems as families and their relatiuves were called on a small scale." said Ko Khant Nay Kyi.

Myanmar workers who want to work in South Korea have been more interested because the pieces of news related to sending Myanmar seasonal workers to South Korea emerged in the last week of 2023. Seasonal workers have to work for eight months a year.