South Korea is planning to introduce computer-based Korean language test from next year. Korean Human Resource Department (HRD) officials are lobbying with Nepal government to introduce computer-based Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) since last year.

Ministry of Labour and Transport Management is taking it positively, said secretary of Ministry of Labour and Transport Management Dr Ram Hari Aryal. “We are exploring physical infrastructure to take the test to thousand Employment Permit System (EPS) job applicants,” he said. 

South Korea is lucrative job destination to Nepalis, so thousands of youth apply for EPS job every year. Earlier, about 57,000 youths had applied for Korean language test and 51,000 have appeared in the test. About 15,298 Nepalis have succeeded in the TOPIK and waiting their turn to fly to their dream destination.

Around 13,000 Nepalis are currently working in South Korea and 10,000 of them are under EPS. Nepalis working under EPS are earning around Rs 60,000 per month, which is five-six times more than popular destinations like Malaysia and Gulf countries. Cost to an EPS job is lowest among destinations.

EPS Nepal has started skill test of TOPIK passed applicants to send them to their job. “We are testing skills of EPS aspirants to send them South Korea in fast-track process,” said chief of EPS Nepal Mahesh Acharya.

According to him, the government is sending 2,500 Nepali youths from the fast-track process. Youth who have passed TOPIK with 100 per cent mark are selected for skill test.

Remittance from South Korea

The government has started bringing remittance from South Korea through banking channels. Currently, most of the remittance from South Korea has been entering the country illegally through Hundi. Nepal Rastra Bank, the ministry and private banks are exploring the possibility of banking channels to bring remittance from South Korea.

Published on: 18 October 2011 | The Himalayan Times