Choi Kwang-jin: “Now that we’ve abolished the quota for workers, we can recruit an unlimited number…” Pic: Ye Lwin

SOUTH Korea will open its doors to Myanmar workers under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) expected to be signed shortly, which places greater emphasis on government approval than did the previous recruitment system.

Once the MoU is signed by the labour ministries of the two countries, Myanmar workers will be admitted to South Korea under a new government-to-government program known as the Employment Permit System (EPS), according to a senior official at the Republic of Korea embassy in Yangon.

“We, the Korean side, submitted a draft MoU to Myanmar’s Ministry of Labour two months ago and now the government of Myanmar has accepted our proposal,” Choi Kwang-jin, first secretary at the embassy, told The Myanmar Times on July 30.

“So far, the Korean Ministry of Labour has signed MoUs with nine countries to recruit labourers – the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, China, Cambodia and Pakistan,” he added.

Myanmar applicants must be aged 18 to 39 and pass a Korean language test – including written and spoken Korean – which will reflect language commonly used in factories, at construction sites or in the service industry, Choi said.

“Those who pass the KLT (Korean language test) with at least 60 points will be eligible to work in the service and manufacturing sectors. Those who get under 60 points but above 30 points will be eligible to work in the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors,” he explained.

Workers must also pass a medical examination, a criminal background check and have never been deported from South Korea, Choi said.

Last month, the Ministry of Labour opened a basic Korean language and culture course at its training centre in Yankin township, Yangon, to help prepare potential workers.

South Korea previously recruited foreign workers from the developing world through private employment agencies, with migrant labourers having to pass the Industrial Training System (ITS).

Some 4000 Myanmar workers travelled to South Korea under the ITS scheme although the Korean government phased this out in 2007 and replaced it with the EPS, which eliminates the role of private agencies and requires government backing for labour transfers.

“In 2006, South Korea recruited 1296 Myanmar workers under the ITS system,” Choi told The Myanmar Times. He added that by the end of July, no labourers had been sent this year.

Myanmar was one of 15 countries sending labourers to South Korea under the ITS mechanism, which required three-year contracts.

“Under the previous program, we recruited a limited number of employees and workers to meet a quota. Now that we’ve abolished the quota for workers, we can recruit an unlimited number but it depends on the Korean employers,” Choi said.

According to Yangon-based overseas employment agencies, South Korea is becoming an increasingly popular destination with Asian migrant workers because pay and conditions for labourers are better than in Singapore and Malaysia, the two most common foreign markets for Myanmar workers behind Thailand.

If Korean employers violate the terms of a job contract, workers can complain at any of the 46 labour inspection offices across the country, Choi said.