A total of 81,077 Korean job aspirants have applied to take the Korean language test in 2019.
According to the Employment Permit System (EPS – Korean Section) part of Nepal’s Department of Foreign Employment, 55,997 Nepalis applied to Korea’s production sector and 25,080 to the agricultural sector as of 5 PM on March 27, 2019.
The number is likely to increase as deadline for applications submission is fast-approaching, 12 AM of March 31, 2019. The language test will begin in the first week of June, 2019.
The applicants who pass the language test will then go through the second round of skills and capacity assessment, before being shortlisted to go to Korea for work. The second round includes academic background, work experience, training and testimonials.
According to EPS Section Director Krishna Prasad Khanal, Nepali youth selected for work in Korea under the EPS system can work for four years and 10 months. They are permitted to take their family along with them at least once.
In 2018, the Department recorded a total of 82,264 registrants for the language tests. Likewise, 68,383 and 60,626 people registered for the test in 2017 and 2016.
Earlier, the South Korean government agreed to hire 10,050 Nepali migrant workers in 2020 under the EPS. According to Khanal, 3,000 Nepali workers will be selected to go to Korea in the agricultural sector and 7,050 workers will be employed in the manufacturing and production sectors.
The international job market looks promising for aspiring Nepali migrant workers, especially that Japan signed a labor pact with Nepal to welcome its migrant workers in 14 Japanese sectors.