Kathmandu, April 4

The Korean Language Test (KLT) for foreign job aspirants under the Employment Permit System (EPS) of Korean government has been slated for June 18 and 19 this year.

A steering committee meeting of EPS Korea led by Minister for Labour and Employment Deepak Bohara held today, has taken a decision in this regard. This is the seventh series of KLT and will be held in Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Application forms from the job-aspirants will be collected from five different places outside Kathmandu Valley — Dadeldhura, Butwal, Pokhara, Dharan and Janakpur — and from five areas in Kathmandu between April 27 and April 30, according to Dilli Ram Banstola, director, EPS Korea Section in the Department of Foreign Employment. “Only those falling in the age bracket of 18 to 35 are eligible to sit for KLT.”

EPS Korea is the government-to-government (G2G) initiative between the two countries, which was signed on 23 July, 2007 and Nepal started sending workers to Korea from August 2008. Altogether, 35,700 Nepalis have had an opportunity to work in Korea since then.

Once selected for a job, the Korean government extends permit for four years. According to EPS Section, around 5,000 labour migrants have returned from Korea after completing their tenure.

Banstola informed that there is demand for 6,000 Nepali workers in Korea for 2017. Of the said demand, 4,200 are in the manufacturing sector and rest in agriculture and livestock farming, among others. Once a candidate clears the KLT, he or she will be able to apply for a job in Korea for two years.

The Human Resource Development Service (HRDS) of Korea develops a roster of those who clear KLT and provides them with an opportunity to apply for jobs in Korea. The validity of KLT is only for two years and around 100 candidates who had cleared their KLT in 2014 are yet to get job opportunity in Korea.

Normally fresh workers in Korea get job opportunity in manufacturing, agriculture and livestock sectors. However, those who have worked in Korea legally for three years can apply for computer-based test (CBT), and those who clear the CBT are eligible to work in service and construction sector as well. The basic monthly salary of Nepali workers in Korea is 1,236,000 won (around $1,075).

Candidates selected from the KLT meet the basic requirement to apply for jobs in Korea. Only the candidates in good health and who have not been involved in any criminal offences are eligible to apply for jobs. The selection process for the demand of 2017 will begin from February, according to Banstola.