Government Pressed by Chinese Ministries

Ahead of China’s premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to Korea, the Chinese government is aggressively seeking the settlement of a foreign work-permit memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korea, which has been postponed for three years. Because of this, the conclusion of the MOU has emerged as a hot potato between two countries.

Regarding this, it was reported yesterday by sources from the Korean embassy in China and other relevant organizations that two countries are already negotiating to settle the details of the MOU and are aiming to achieve the agreement during Wen’s visit. His visit, meanwhile, starts April 10.

Both countries have sought a conclusion to the MOU. However, the Chinese government perplexed the Korean government after it pushed ahead with the plan without designating a ministry to be responsible for the agreement.

Since 2004, two Chinese ministries, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, have debated which ministry should be responsible for the management of overseas labor forces. This is because a great amount of advantage comes to the ministry that deals with the management of overseas workers. China sends roughly 10,000 overseas workers abroad every year.

According to Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers that was amended at the end of 2004, the Korean government should sign an MOU with the heads of governmental organizations that are responsible for the management of labor forces in countries that send labor to Korea.

Under this law, the government accordingly attempted to make a deal with the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of China in initial stage because it was in charge of labor management in China. However, the deal was delayed because Ministry of Commerce filed a complaint through diplomatic channels, saying that it was the Ministry of Commerce that was in charge of labor management when the Korean government started its Industrial Trainee Program for Foreign Workers program.

Regarding this, the Korean government notified the Chinese government that the Korean government can make a foreign labor agreement only with the head of the labor ministries of countries sending labor to Korea. However, the two ministries failed to make a settlement and have been lobbying the Korean government to sign with them by sending high-ranking officials to Korea.

It was also reported that these ministries are pressuring the Korean government, saying that unless the Korean government signs an MOU with them, they will act against Korea in the fields of their charged sectors such as trade and labor.

Regarding this, a diplomatic source from China said that, “The Korean government will suffer unnecessary disadvantages if it makes a deal with one particular ministry while the two organizations are struggling against each other,” adding, “The government should wait until they make a settlement by themselves so as not to be accused of taking innocuous actions.”

Meanwhile, the Korean government plans to receive 109,600 foreign workers from 15 overseas countries this year through the Employment Permit System.

orionha@donga.com