The South Korean Employment Permit System (EPS) received more than 19,000 applications from Nepali candidates on Wednesday, the first day to apply for the Korean language test. The Human Resources Department of EPS Korea is scheduled to hold the language test on September 26-27, while the results will be made public on October 15.

The applications were collected from seven different form distribution centres across the country. The EPS Division at the Department of Foreign Employment has set up three centres in Kathmandu and four outside the Valley to collect the application forms. The division has set Saturday as deadline for applicants to submit their forms.

According to the EPS Division, 3,688 applications were collected from Acme Engineering College centre, 4,189 from Chaysal ground centre and 3,434 from Laboratory Secondary School centre in Kathmandu . Outside Kathmandu , the collection centre distributed 2,727 forms in Dharan, 2,110 in Butwal, 2,945 in Pokhara and 337 in Dadeldhura. The applicants had to pay US $24 for each application form.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) said the application distribution process went smoothly throughout the country except a brief clash between applicants and police due to higher inflow of candidates in Chaysal in Lalitpur. EPS officials said they are introducing token system from Thursday in order to avoid such clashes by systematising the form submission process. MoLE Spokesperson Buddhi Khadka said the number of applications is likely to cross 50,000 within the deadline. Stakeholders say numerous factors, including increasing unemployment, transparent recruitment process, cheap cost and good pay scale, have lured Nepali youths toward South Korea.

Ranjan  Pudasaini, a business graduate who was at a queue in Sitapaila, said it was natural for young people to get attracted towards developed work destination like South Korea while many of them are jobless in Nepal. “I won’t be able to sustain myself even if I get a job here. It’s been a compulsion to go aboard for a comfortable living,” he said.

Applicants said the lower departure cost in comparison to higher income was the main reason behind their participation in the Korean language test. It costs Rs 100,000 for a worker to go to South Korea, a sum that can be earned within a month. South Korea, one of the most lucrative labour destinations for Nepali migrants, has recently made seven percent hike in migrant workers’ salary. Though Korean government is expected to specify country-wise quota for 2015 by December, officials said most of those passing the language test will be eligible to be enlisted in the roster, an online platform for employer to recruit workers.

The South Korean Human Resource Department has allocated 5,700 jobs to Nepali workers for 2014 under the EPS system. The country had hired 5,234 Nepali migrants in 2013. Nepali youths started to enter Korea as migrant workers after Nepal signed a memorandum of understanding with the South Korean government on July 31, 2007. Till now, around 22,000 Nepalis have found employment in the country.

In an interview with Post a few months ago, Lee Dong Sirk, human resource director at the EPS Centre, had said language test has been changed from closed questions to open questions making it tougher for candidates aspiring to get job opportunity in South Korea. The center has urged applicants to fill up the form without any mistake as any error will make the exam results invalid and shatter their Korean dream even if they pass the exam.

Published on: 14 August 2014 | The Kathmandu Post