Newsnomics AJAY ANGELINA reporter |

“24 Vietnamese shipbuilding trainees carried D-4-6 visa has been converted to skilled workers visa E-7-3 approved by the Ministry of Justice,” Park Seong-jae, the Minister of Justice announced on June 4,2024.

On September 2023, 24 Vietnamese entered in South Korea to work for the field of shipbuilding as Trainees.

They completed HD Hyundai Mipo’s six-month training course and acquired practical skills along with Korean language skills.

After receiving an employment recommendation from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, all of the trainees were hired by HD Hyundai Mipo's eight in-house partner companies to become skilled workers (E-7-3) with completion of all needed requirements. 

Last year in September, the Ministry of Justice implemented a ‘pilot project’ to convert shipbuilding trainees (D-4-6) into skilled workers (E-7-3)’ as part of ‘measures to resolve difficulties in introducing foreign workers in the shipbuilding industry.

According to the Ministry of justice, the conversion to a general skilled worker (E-7-3) visa will be permitted after 6 months of training (D-4-6) at a shipbuilding company's in-house training institution, if the qualification requirements will meet along with the Korean language skill.

The Ministry of Justice plans to review whether to continue implementing the 'shipbuilding industry trainee D-4-6) to skilled manpower (E-7-3) conversion program' through performance analysis, including monitoring of the adaptation status of visa converters, and related ministries and agencies. 

We will pursue improvements to the balanced visa system through gathering opinions from the shipbuilding

industry, etc. said the Ministry of Justice.