Inside the lives of Vietnamese seasonal farm workers in South Korea

Along with the 31-year-old Vietnamese in the car are several workers from Thailand and China, also heading to tend fields growing ginger, potato, onion, sweet potato, and rice.

Tam’s task for the day is to cut sweet potato vines inside a greenhouse, while three others prepare planting beds. He and the others work continuously for eight hours a day with a 30-60-minute lunch break.

In the evening a car picks them up and takes them back to their dormitory.

"It is still cool in early April, and so we can manage, but by July the heat can be overwhelming," Tam, a native of Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta who arrived in South Korea in mid-2023, says.

He used to work at a convenience store in Vietnam, earning VND7.5 million (US$290) a month. His sister, who is married to a South Korean man, informed him about a seasonal labor program in South Korea and helped sponsor his move there. Before going to South Korea, he spent six months on medical check-ups and paperwork.

"I decided to come because the work contract is for only six months, and the pay is good," he says.

Tam processes farm produce in Chungcheongnam, South Korea, in 2023. Photo courtesy of Tam

He now earns 90,000 won ($63) daily, living and working with some 30 other workers from Vietnam, Thailand and China, sharing a room with one other person. After covering living expenses such as dorm rent and food, he saves VND20-25 million a month.

Though he comes from a farming background, he initially had difficulty with some tasks.

"In South Korea, even when working in the fields, everyone is punctual and the tools are always neatly organized."

The farms are often vast and in hilly areas, and they use modern machinery, which Tam had never worked with before. Initially he communicated with his farm owner, a man in his 40s, and others by gesticulating. He also observed how his coworkers operated the machinery and imitated their actions.

Later he taught himself Korean and adapted well.

After six months in South Korea Tam returned to Vietnam with over VND130 million. Now he is preparing to return for another stint of work.

Tam is part of a seasonal labor program launched in early 2022 by South Korea and 17 Vietnamese provinces.

Dong Thap in the Mekong Delta was one of the first provinces to sign the agreement with South Korea’s Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces, and discussions are underway to expand the program with other regions.

According to the Department of Home Affairs, more Vietnamese workers are heading to South Korea for seasonal agricultural work due to increasing unemployment in their home regions, particularly in the southeastern region.

Nguyen Nhu Tuan, deputy director of the Asia-Africa market department at the Overseas Labor Management Bureau, says 433 workers participated in the program in 2022. The number increased to 2,157 in 2024.

The program helps address labor shortages in South Korea’s agricultural and fisheries sectors, especially with the country’s aging population and a shortage of young people willing to do manual jobs. Foreign workers can stay in South Korea for three to eight months and have to return home after their contract ends. But they can reapply for the program up to two times a year.

Tuan says the program is becoming increasingly popular among Vietnamese workers due to its low cost. Applicants only need to cover their passport, visa and health check expenses and airfare and do not have to pay agents’ fees. The eligibility age has also been increased to 55, opening up opportunities for older workers who might find it harder to access other programs, and the South Korean government allows Vietnamese women married to South Korean men to sponsor family members for the job.

A farmer plants vegetables. Illustration photo by Pexels

Thai Hien, a manager at a South Korean visa service center, says 80% of clients are relatives of Vietnamese women married to South Korean men. The number of clients has increased by 20-30% annually, peaking in March and April, during which the center processes 300-500 applications, mainly from southern provinces such as Ca Mau and Kien Giang and Can Tho City.

Huynh Nhu of Can Tho, who married a man in Chungcheongnam in 2022, sponsored her elder brother for the program. Her brother, who had worked for a mobile phone shop in Vietnam with a low income and was struggling with debt, went to South Korea last year to work for eight months. He was able to save around VND30 million a month.

This year Nhu is working on sponsoring her brother for a second term and a cousin.

Tuan warns that while the seasonal labor program offers better earnings, workers should use official channels to avoid scams.

"Many people were promised help to enter South Korea by brokers, but after paying over VND100 million, they could not get in touch with anyone."

He advises applicants to look out for fraudulent schemes.

My An, 31, of Can Tho was sponsored by her older sister last year. She is from a difficult family background and had worked in Ca Mau before going to South Korea.

Now she works eight-hour shifts on a farm in Antong City. The work is demanding, and the language barrier was initially challenging.

"But I keep going because I know the income is several times better than in Vietnam," she says.