KATHMANDU: Employment Permit System (EPS) Nepal office is upgrading its roster to send Nepali blue-collar job aspirants to South Korea. It has called aspirants to

submit colour photocopy of their passports and photographs to the the hiring agency of the Human Resource Department (HRD) of South Korea.

EPS aspirants must submit colour passports and photographs by Thursday, EPS Nepal office has said. Around 384 aspirants have to fulfill the provision as their records in the EPS roster are insufficient for further processing. EPS Nepal is doing this as per the guidance of HRD South Korea.

South Korea is a lucrative destination for Nepali migrant workers where they earn five times more than in Gulf countries and Malaysia. EPS aspirants earn between $970 and $1,000 monthly each based

on their jobs. South Korea is hiring Nepali workers in five sectors — agriculture, services, fishery, manufacturing and construction.

The process of sending workers to South Korea will start after the roster is upgraded. Under the bilateral agreement of January 18, EPS aspirants listed in the roster in 2008 must be hired this year. “A one-year extension for the people listed in the roster since 2008 has been allowed,” Minister for Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM) Mohammed Aftab Alam had said on January 21 after the renewal of agreement.

EPS Nepal office

will start the new selection process from May-June for 2010-12. EPS South Korea hires Nepali workers aged between 18 and 39 years through a rigorous process of Korean Language Test (KLT), listing in the roster and hiring on demand from industries.

Nearly 7,000 Nepalis are working in South Korea. Of them, 4,000 have gone through the EPS system. Around 6,768 Nepalis are listed in the EPS roster after passing KLT in 2008. Nepal got the Best Sending Country award from South Korea in 2009.