By Ma Ma - Jan 17, 2024

According to the trainees, the recircuiting to train to work as seasonal workers in Korea is increasing.

Although the Korean Embassy in Myanmar has stated that the Korean government has not issued any directives or statements regarding Burmese seasonal workers, the Ministry of Labor under the Military Council is announced on the state owned newspaper during the third week of December that they are in talks to send seasonal workers to Korea and trying to sign an MOU. Due to this situation, not only illegal recruitments are increased, but also some agencies are asking for service fees in advance, people close to them said.

"My husband is already attending the training. I know that he has to go. About (65) lakhs need to be paid, but now only 28 lakhs MMK have been deposited. Those include medical tests, document and tuition fees. I don’t know exactly. He would have to issue the passport again. That would cost too," said the wife of a person attending the course.

Currently, the Myanmar Labor Social Security Center (Korea) has issued an instruction to some regional offices in Korea not to recruit seasonal workers from Myanmar.

On December 8, 2023, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Myanmar announced again that the people who are recruiting either via online or in person to send seasonal workers to South Korea from Myanmar are scamming.

“Agencies are still trying. I definitely can't say anything. There are a lot of local people who want to go. It’s the best time for those who want to gouge, it's," said an agency entrepreneur.

At present, the two governments of Myanmar and Korea are collaborating to send construction, agriculture and manufacturing male workers.  In 2023, there are also financial frauds under the pretext to go to work in South Korea with the occupation such as nursing, domestic workers and seasonal workers.