Vietnamese Minister of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung suggested that South Korea open its doors wider to Vietnamese migrant workers and increase the number of industries in need of foreign laborers such as shipbuilding and services.

Minister Dung put forward this proposal while meeting with newly-appointed Ambassador of South Korea to Vietnam Choi Youngsam on Thursday.

The two officials exchanged their viewpoints about South Korea’s Employment Permit System (EPS), the Vietnam-South Korea social security agreement, and cooperation in occupational education.

There is a soaring demand among young Vietnamese for working in South Korea but the East Asian nation sets limited numbers of foreign workers eligible to work there, the Vietnamese minister said.

Therefore, Minister Dung proposed that the South Korean side consider increasing its quota of Vietnamese workers.

The Vietnamese government always offers optimal conditions for South Korean businesses, experts, and employees to work and research in Vietnam, he added.

Regarding vocational education, South Korea is providing high-quality training for Vietnamese workers to join world skills competitions.

Both sides will work together in the upcoming period to complete procedures related to their bilateral agreement on social security.

Ambassador Choi said he would report Vietnam’s said proposal to the South Korean government.

The South Korean diplomat added that his country had adjusted up its quota of foreign workers under the EPS and plans to add more sectors to the EPS to offer employment opportunities to foreign workers.

Recently, Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha passed a decision in which Vietnamese workers under the EPS can take out margin loans offered by the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies.

The margin loan is capped at VND100 million (US$4,114) per borrower, according to a deal signed between Vietnam’s Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs and South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor.

The maximum lending term is five years and four months, with interest rates depending on types of borrowers.

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