The process of signing labor contracts between South Korean employers and those who have reapplied for the jobs under Employment Permit Systems (EPS) will begin by the end of this month.

An official privy to the issue said workers will be able to start work by March after signing labor contracts and completing visa formalities. 

“As re-registration of around 8,800 Korea aspirants has already been completed, the process of issuing labor contracts would begin by the end of January,” a source at EPS Nepal office told Repubica.

Human Resource Department (HRD) of South Korea, which is coordinating the EPS job process as a focal agency, had de-listed around 9,000 workers from its job roster a couple of months ago. It had asked the concerned workers to re-register in the roster fresh health reports to earn for labor contracts.

A total of 15,678 youths had been registered in the roster. They had completed Test of Proficiency in Korea (TOPIK) -- Korean language test -- and submitted heath reports in 2011. However, only 6,039 of them had signed labor contracts.

EPS-Nepal Office had launched re-registration campaign a month ago after names of youths selected under EPS were removed from the job roster after the validity of their health certificate expired.

Though South Korea has opened five sectors - agriculture, manufacturing, fishery, service and construction - for Nepali workers, it has been receiving workers mostly in the manufacturing sector. 

The source, however, said the Korean employers are interested in hire more Nepali workers in the agriculture sector. “Korean employers are showing interest to increase recruitment of Nepali workers in the agriculture sector as Nepali jobseekers are more or less familiar with farm works,” the source said.

Meanwhile, South Korea officials are coming to Nepal very soon to fix the modality for taking Computer-based Test (CBT) for those who returned from Asia´s fifth largest economy after working there for at least three years. 

The Korean government has already agreed to accept Nepali workers, who have returned home after working at least three years in Korea. The EPS Nepal Office is preparing to conduct the CBT for such returnees.

“We will fix the qualification, age bar and other criteria for those who want to reenter Korea when Korean officials visit Nepal to facilitate the CBT system for TOPIK,” said the source.

South Korea has been sourcing migrant workers from 15 different countries, including Nepal, under the EPS introduced in 2004.

Published on: 16 January 2013 | Republica