RoK reopens channel to receive seasonal workers from Viet Nam. (Photo: VNA)

The Republic of Korea (RoK)’s North Jeolla province on May 6 said it has recruited 52 Vietnamese seasonal workers to work on local farms, as they are facing a severe labour shortage.

According to the province’s Jinan district authorities, in the first phase, the district received 27 workers and arranged jobs at 17 farms cultivating watermelon, red pepper, and sesame leaves.

The workers include relatives of Vietnamese who are married and living in the RoK. They were trained in agriculture and tested negative for COVID-19 upon entry.

On May 10, Jinan will welcome 25 more workers from Viet Nam.

The RoK reopened its channel to receive seasonal workers from Viet Nam following the Vietnamese Government’s April 27 decision on allowing the continuation of a pilot programme on sending labourers to the RoK in the form of cooperation between the nations’ localities.