Seoul, Feb 7 (IANS): Twenty-nine Afghan evacuees airlifted to South Korea last year have been hired by a sub-contractor of the shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., leading to their departure on Monday from the government-provided temporary residence, according to the Justice Ministry.

The newly hired and their family members, totaling 157 people from 29 households, will move into company housing provided by Hyundai Heavy in Ulsan, about 415 km southeast of Seoul, Yonhap News Agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

They are among 391 Afghan co-workers and their family members that South Korea evacuated from their home country when it was taken over by the Taliban in August 2021 for fear they could be persecuted for having supported foreign operations.

The evacuees include medical professionals, vocational trainers, IT experts and interpreters who worked for the Korean Embassy in Kabul, and its humanitarian and relief facilities in Afghanistan.

Except for one household that left for the United States with a special immigration visa, a total of 78 households have been staying at the temporary residence in the southern city of Yeosu and undergoing various assimilation programs, including Korean culture, language and economy lessons.

Of the total, 349 people from 71 households have now relocated to other cities in the country, including Incheon, Ulsan and Gimpo, as they found ways to settle down here.

The remaining 40 people from seven households also plan to leave the temporary residence on Wednesday.