Seoul denies BBC report on S. Korea-Malawi labor deal

The South Korean Foreign Ministry on Friday denied a BBC report that claimed the Malawi government has struck a deal with South Korea to send up to 10,000 young people to the country as migrant workers.

“There has never been discussions on (importing labor) between the two governments,” the ministry said in a statement.

To import or export labor, there must be legal procedures like a work permit system and an agreement between the two countries in advance, the ministry said.

“As far as the import of a workforce (from Malawi) is concerned, however, there has so far been no discussions and no official agreement between the governments,” the ministry said.

The previous day, the BBC reported that Malawian President Joyce Banda made the agreement in an effort to cope with her nation’s high unemployment during a visit to Seoul in February.

The agreement involves sending Malawian men and women aged between 18 and 25 to work in factories and on farms on the Korean Peninsula, the BBC said.