Investment in Vietnam from the Republic of Korea (RoK) is expected to rise further, increasing demand for labour, according to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra).

A candidate is interviewed at the annual Korea-Vietnam
job fair in HCM City on June 28. (Photo: VNA)

The RoK is already the largest foreign investor in Vietnam, according to the Foreign Investment Agency, with a total of 64.55 billion USD in 7,905 projects, accounting for over 18 percent of FDI.

At a recent Korea-Vietnam job fair in HCM City, 45 RoK firms hired Vietnamese for positions in production, quality management, import-export management, HR, interpretation, accounting, sales and marketing, with the largest demand being for sales, marketing and production management personnel and interpreters.

They included subsidiaries of major companies such as Lotte, Posco, LG, Daesang, Emart, Shinhan Bank, and Korea Exchange Bank,

Nearly 1,400 Vietnamese took part in the fair.

Speaking about the Vietnamese workforce, Kim Hyeri, a Kotra executive in HCM City, said its quality has improved significantly in recent years.

Vietnamese labourers are diligent and scrupulous but need to improve their technical skills, she said.

The fair also featured a seminar on start-ups to apprise students and graduates with information about the country’s start-up eco-system and support programmes that are available for start-up individuals and organisations.

Organised by KOTRA and the RoK consulate in HCM City annually since 2013, the fair seeks to support Korean companies but also offer Vietnamese students an opportunity to embark on careers.