Uzbekistan’s Andijan Region and South Korea’s Jeollabuk-do Province have reached an agreement to cooperate on the dispatch of seasonal agricultural workers, as per to Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency.
The agreement was discussed and signed during a meeting on January 27 in Buan County, where Governor Kwon Ik-hyun received a delegation from Andijan Region. Representatives of Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency operating in South Korea also took part in the talks. The document was concluded in line with the requirements of South Korea’s Ministry of Justice, which regulates the designation of migrant-sending and migrant-receiving territories.
Under the agreement, Andijan Region and Jeollabuk-do Province will cooperate to address labor shortages in the agricultural sector. The document outlines mechanisms for attracting and managing seasonal workers, ensuring compliance with labor standards and migration regulations, and preventing illegal stays. South Korean officials noted that the arrangement is intended to support the development of a legal and sustainable labor system in agriculture and to reduce the administrative and recruitment burden on employers.
The agreement with Jeollabuk-do follows similar labor migration initiatives between Uzbekistan and South Korean regions. In October, Uzbekistan signed an agreement with South Korea’s Gyeongsangnam-do Province to send seasonal workers holding E-8 visas to several localities, including Miryang City, Hapcheon County, and Cheongnyang County. This program marked the first resumption of E-8 seasonal worker placements since the suspension of visa issuance in 2021.
In parallel, Behzod Musayev, head of Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency, held discussions with representatives of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province on cooperation in the training and recruitment of qualified personnel in Uzbekistan. Under this framework, trained specialists would be eligible to work in South Korea under E-7 visas, which are issued for skilled workers.
