Swift measures taken to protect Vietnamese in RoK amid COVID-19 fears
(VOVWORLD) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has adopted a number of measures to protect Vietnamese citizens living in the Republic of Korea, which reported a huge rise in the number of confirmed new coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) infection cases over the last few days.
 South Korean health officials spray disinfectant in front of the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the southeastern city of Daegu on February 21, 2020. (Photo: chinhphu.vn) |
According to the Vietnamese embassy, around 200,000 Vietnamese people are living in South Korea, including nearly 8,300 in Daegu city, the epicenter of the outbreak in the country.
There are no reports so far of Vietnamese nationals confirmed or suspected of having the virus in South Korea, the ministry said.
The Embassy has launched a round-the-clock hotline, +82 106 315 6618, for Vietnamese expats here to seek help while the management authority of Vietnamese guest workers in Korea has also set up a hotline number +82 103 248 6886 to provide support for those in need.
Nguyen Gia Liem, Deputy Director of the labor ministry’s Department of Overseas Labor, said: “It’s necessary for the management authority of Vietnamese guest workers in South Korea to set up liaison offices in Daegu and Gyeongbuk to monitor the situation of Vietnamese workers there and inform them in case of emergency.”
Daegu is the capital of Gyeongbuk province which currently houses 18,500 Vietnamese workers.