While there are only half as many workers employed in South Korea as there were in 2008, ministry officials believe it is a positive sign that the overseas job market is improving despite the global economic downturn.
Pham Van Minh, director of the Overseas Employment Centre under MoLISA's Overseas Employment Management Department, said that the increasing demand for work in South Korea had prompted the ministry to organise two Korean language tests, instead of one as usual, for candidates this year.
"Only candidates that passed the language exam are qualified to apply for jobs in Korea," said Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, head of the Overseas Employment Management Department.
The multiple-choice Korean language test was organised in four cities and provinces including Ha Noi, Nghe An, Da Nang and HCM City earlier this month. More than 27,000 candidates were qualified to take the test. Most candidates applied for industrial jobs, construction work and agricultural positions.
Quynh said the test results would be provided by Korean officials in early November.
Jung Ill Sung, head of Korea's Migrant Workers Management Department, said about 80 per cent of the people who passed the exam would be hired by Korean employers.
The Overseas Employment Office reported that since August 2004, 47,533 people have been sent to work in South Korea. — VNS
The National Children’s Museum of South Korea will add a section of Vietnamese culture later this month to make Korean children more aware of the 90,000-strong Vietnamese community in the country.
The body of a Vietnamese construction worker killed in a work accident in South Korea early this month has been sent home and buried Saturday.