War, economic hardship and now the threat of military conscription by the junta are driving young people in Myanmar to seek jobs overseas, with South Korea being a favored destination.
In Yangon, hundreds have been lining up overnight in recent days, sleeping on the sidewalk outside an employment agency office, to pay the registration fee to take a Korean language proficiency test, which they must pass to gain employment in the country.
One young man said he had to wait 20 hours in line to register. “We waited in line since 6:00 p.m” the previous night, he said.
These young people are hoping to land jobs in factories, farming and construction in South Korea, where wages are much higher than at home, under a government-sponsored program started about 10 years ago.
The military government is aiming to recruit 11,000 workers this year, the Ministry of Labor said.
Seasonal work
Meanwhile, Kyaw Kyaw, a 32-year-old from Mandalay, is interested in a seasonal job on a South Korean farm. He paid an employment agency around 300,000 kyats (about US$140) to start that process.
He was responding to news announced in October in the junta-backed Global New Light of Myanmar that the two governments had agreed to setting up a seasonal work program lasting around eight months.
But the South Korean Embassy in Myanmar issued a statement to dismiss the reports, saying the government had not announced any guidelines or jobs related to seasonal workers.
The embassy deferred the final word to South Korea’s Ministry of Justice, where an official declined to confirm whether such an agreement had been signed.
Civic organizations warned that the operation not only funnels funds to the Myanmar military but also exposes Burmese workers to exploitation and risk.
Seasonal workers hailing from other countries have already reported being subjected to human trafficking in South Korea, physical and verbal abuse, poor living conditions for rural workers and having wages withheld by employers.
In a written statement to RFA, a ministry spokesperson said local governments in South Korea and their foreign counterparts have the authority to sign memorandums of understanding regarding seasonal workers.
But the spokesperson added that it is still necessary for them to go through the visa process with the ministry before it can be implemented, without elaborating further.
The spokesperson also declined to comment on the junta’s timeline that workers may come as soon as March, calling it a “diplomatic matter.”
False hope
Despite the uncertainty, junta-linked employment agencies are fervently recruiting workers, asking for upfront payments and igniting hopes for better opportunities abroad.
The Seasonal Worker Training and Care Center, which began in early 2023, claimed to send workers to South Korea for the agricultural season to “solve Myanmar’s current job shortage.” According to a Korean media report, the agency is backed by the junta’s embassy in South Korea and other junta ministries.
The group also claimed that it was in negotiations and signing agreements with both local and central governments in South Korea.
The Yangon-based agency’s Facebook page listed test results for more than 10,600 people who have completed the registration and five-day job and language training program.
The course and registration fees cost 380,000 kyat (US$180) for each worker, adding that it aims to recruit around 60,000 workers throughout 2024. The agency has not responded to RFA’s inquiries.
Exploited
Ei Thet, who works at a migrant assistance center in the South Korean city of Bucheon, told RFA that she’s also seen other brokers offering seasonal permits to workers from Myanmar – even though this program has not been agreed upon by South Korea.
“Brokers are advertising they have [a legal ground to provide] work permits, like an MOU between the Korean government and their agency,” but that’s not true, Ei Thet said about ads targeted at Burmese workers.
“They have been advertising that they can receive a work permit for you and that you have to pay the service fee amount of US$5,000.”
More than 100 South Korea-based civic organizations have taken a stance against the scheme by sending a letter to the country’s Ministry of Justice outlining the possible consequences for workers.
“It was judged that this plan was not only beneficial to the Myanmar military, but also not beneficial to the workers,” said Hynphil Na, the director of the Korean House for International Solidarity. The Seoul-based group advocates for human rights issues and democracy.
“In itself, it sends a message that [South] Korea recognizes the junta as a legitimate government,” she said. “The junta sends Myanmar workers suffering from economic difficulties to Korea and brings diplomatic benefits.”
Workers will suffer twice as much under this program, Na said, adding that it is difficult to say if Myanmar will protect their interests after they arrive.
In other words, Myanmar’s labor representatives and embassy staff may not provide workers support or be as invested in making sure it’s a good working environment.
Civic organizations are also working to make sure the junta’s plans to send workers to South Korea will not be approved, citing poor working conditions for such workers.
“The seasonal worker system itself has many elements of human rights violations,” Na explained. “Therefore, it seems that Myanmar workers have no choice but to endure a poor situation. The situation of seasonal workers from other countries is highly likely to worsen with Myanmar workers.”
After paying initial training fees, Kyaw Kyaw was asked to pay an exorbitant down payment of 5 million kyats (US$2,400) to secure employment in South Korea, a practice that is against the International Labor Organization standards.
He hasn’t paid that sum yet, but he’s willing to.
“Even though there is no formal agreement between the two governments, I’m not worried, because any country is better than Myanmar at the moment,” Kyaw Kyaw told RFA.
“So I’m willing to go, I’m just waiting on the call.”
Edited by Taejun Kang and Malcolm Foster.