Kathmandu, October 3

Foreign job aspirants who have succeeded in passing the Korean Language Test (KLT) under the Employment Permit System (EPS) of the South Korean government will start leaving for the East Asian nation for jobs from the end of November, according to the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE).

Baburam Khatiwada, director of EPS Korea Section under DoFE, informed that the government will immediately start the procedure regarding medical tests and job application of all the KLT graduates after Tihar.

The South Korean government has sought 10,200 Nepali workers for 2018. However, 12,108 candidates have cleared the KLT this year.

“We are planning to complete the medical tests of all the eligible job aspirants and fill their job application forms within two weeks after Tihar,” said Khatiwada.

As per him, the EPS Korea Section will then send all the copies of medical tests and job application forms of KLT graduates to the South Korean government for approval. Approval of all these documents will allow Nepali workers to get the Certificate for Confirmation of Visa Issuance (CCVI) from the South Korean government.

“If everything goes as planned, job-seekers who have passed the KLT will start leaving for South Korea from the end of November,” added Khatiwada.

The Human Resources Development Service of Korea develops a roster of those who clear the KLT and provides them with an opportunity to apply for jobs in Korea. Normally, fresh workers in Korea get employment opportunities in manufacturing, agriculture and livestock sectors.

The number of Nepali job aspirants to South Korea has been rising in recent years. As per government statistics, 61,637 Nepali job-seekers sat for the KLT last year while 68,000 such aspirants had appeared for the examination this year.

However, the validity of KLT is only for two years, which means those who pass the KLT exam cannot apply for jobs after two years.

Similarly, the South Korean government has also been increasing the labour quota for Nepal every year. Labour demand from South Korea in 2018 has gone up by three folds to 10,200 against 3,100 in 2017, according to EPS Korea Section.

The basic monthly salary of a Nepali worker in Korea is 1,236,000 won (around $1,075). Till date, a total of 43,000 Nepali workers have received opportunities to work in Korea under the EPS while 11,000 workers have already returned after completing their 58-month job placement in the much sought after destination.