The working sessions focused on enhancing cooperation in labour, employment and migration management to ensure the effective implementation of the Employment Permit System (EPS) between the two countries.

During a meeting with MOEL Vice Minister Son Pil Hun, both sides praised the results of recent cooperation, noting that Vietnam currently ranks first in the number of workers employed in the RoK under the EPS program, while the proportion of undocumented workers has fallen to around 19%, surpassing the target set by both governments.

They agreed to work closely to improve the effectiveness of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with an emphasis on five key measures: increasing the number of successful applicants and recruitment quotas in line with Korean enterprises’ needs and workers’ aspirations; expanding Korean language testing on computers and tablets (CBT and UBT) to facilitate candidates and shorten processing and departure times; broadening job categories to include base industries such as casting, plastic processing, surface treatment and heat treatment; supporting the integration and reintegration of returning workers; and  intensifying inspections to ensure lawful rights and benefits regarding accommodation and working conditions.

Vice Minister Vu Chien Thang also met with HRD Korea President Lee Woo Young and witnessed the signing of a Service Commitment Agreement (SCA) between HRD Korea and the Vietnam Center of Overseas Labour (COLAB). The agreement concretizes the MoU between Vietnam’s Ministry of Home Affairs and the RoK’s Ministry of Employment and Labor, aiming for transparent, efficient and sustainable management and operation of the EPS program.

Later in the afternoon, the Vietnamese delegation held talks with the RoK Ministry of Justice, chaired by Yong Ho Cha, Director General of the Immigration Policy Bureau.

The two sides exchanged views on administrative reform, integration policies and foreign worker management, and reached consensus on various issues, including: expanding seasonal worker programs through stronger locality-to-locality cooperation; reducing illegal stays while facilitating voluntary repatriation and potential re-entry under existing regulations; and studying a pilot nursing worker program based on joint mechanisms between competent agencies of both countries, consistent with Vietnamese and RoK laws.

The working session helped enhancing mutual understanding and substantive cooperation in labour, employment and legal affairs, thereby making practical contributions to the Vietnam-Republic of Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

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