Hamyang County Selects 250 Foreign Seasonal Workers in Vietnam for 2027 in First Round

About 350 people apply for interviews in Dong Nai City... Applicants evaluated on agricultural experience and willingness to work
200 workers to be selected after a second evaluation in December... Interviews also scheduled in Da Nang City on November 16

Hamyang County in South Gyeongsang Province has begun selecting foreign seasonal workers in Vietnam to prepare for a rural labor shortage during the 2027 farming season.

The county said it is visiting Dong Nai City and Da Nang City in Vietnam from November 12 to 18 on a five-night, seven-day trip to hold working-level consultations on selecting foreign seasonal workers for 2027 and bringing them to the county.

The visit was arranged to directly select workers with agricultural experience in the two regions, with which the county signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on bringing in foreign seasonal workers this year, and to prepare for farms' labor needs next year.

[Photo provided by Hamyang County] Members of the Hamyang County delegation and officials from Dong Nai City, Vietnam, pose for a commemorative photo after conducting in-person interviews to select foreign seasonal workers for 2027.

The Hamyang County delegation conducted interviews to select foreign seasonal workers at the Dong Nai City Employment Service Center on November 13.

About 350 people applied for the interviews. The county evaluated applicants' agricultural experience, willingness to work and communication skills in sessions held in the morning and afternoon.

In particular, applicants with at least one year of experience working in agriculture also took basic physical fitness tests to assess their ability to perform the physical tasks required for farm work.

Based on the interviews and evaluation results, the county selected 250 applicants in the first round.

For this selection process, the county worked with a seasonal worker support center to conduct interviews directly on site. This approach was intended to prevent improper intervention by private employment brokers and ensure fairness and transparency in the selection process.

On November 14, the delegation plans to discuss practical matters involved in bringing in workers, including their arrival schedules, visa issuance and pre-departure training, with officials from Dong Nai City.

After receiving pre-departure training in Korean and crop cultivation, the workers selected in the first round will undergo a second evaluation in early December.

Hamyang County plans to select 200 workers through the second evaluation and then determine the final number based on the labor needs of local farms and their preferences.

After completing the relevant entry procedures, the workers selected in the final round are scheduled to arrive in South Korea in stages from March 2027, according to the labor needs of individual farms, and take part in farm work.

Before the workers arrive, the county plans to provide pre-departure training. After their arrival, it will also monitor their working conditions and living environments to support stable employment and the supply of labor to farms.

A county official said, "Through the local interviews, we confirmed the seasonal worker applicants' agricultural experience and willingness to work. We will secure the workers farms need through a fair selection process and pre-departure training, and respond to labor shortages during the busy farming season."

Meanwhile, after completing its schedule in Dong Nai City, the Hamyang County delegation plans to travel to Da Nang City to conduct additional local interviews on November 16.

Based on its MOUs with the two regions, the county plans to continue consultations on bringing in foreign seasonal workers and proceed with follow-up steps, including visa issuance and preparations for their arrival, after the selection process.

For the introduction of foreign seasonal workers to make a meaningful contribution to easing rural labor shortages, fair selection must be accompanied by appropriate working conditions, adequate housing and systematic management after their arrival.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.