SEOUL – South Korea and Indonesia today agreed to rev up monitoring on the working environment of Indonesian crewmen boarding local fishing boats and root out possible violations of human rights, reported Yonhap news agency.
Oceans Minister Moon Seong-hyeok held an online meeting with Indonesian counterpart Ida Fauziyah and inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to increase transparency in the recruitment process of workers, according to the Oceans and Fisheries Ministry.
The agreement comes as Indonesia takes up around 36% of foreign employees working on South Korean fishing boats, followed by those from the Philippines and Vietnam with 21% each.
Under the latest MoU, only institutions designated by both countries will be allowed to participate in the recruitment and education of Indonesians for South Korean fishing boats.
The ministry said the move will help in reducing excessive commission fees.
The two governments also agreed to operate a joint institution to educate the workers.
The ministry said it plans to expand such ties with other Southeast Asian countries. – Bernama, May 31, 2021
