Workers from Nepal will be selected only for the manufacturing sector this year. Earlier, they were taken also for agriculture, fishery, construction and services. Distribution of application forms for Korean language test started on Monday. Around 16,000 youths aspiring to work in South Korea submitted applications for the test on Monday after Korea announced the distribution of third phase of applications on the day.

Forms will be distributed for the next two days at Employment Permit System (EPS) service centers in Gaushala, Chyasal and Kirtipur in Kathmandu as well as in Butwal outside the Capital, said an official at the EPS, adding, the test is scheduled to be held on July 22 and 23 while the results will be published on Aug 23. Those who pass the test are eligible to apply for work in South Korea.

There was only one centre in the Capital for the applicants of the last two Korean language tests held in 2008 and 2010. Around 8,000 Nepalis have reached South Korea through the EPS in the last three years.

According to EPS Director Mahesh Acharya, application fee for the exam has been increased by US$7 this year in order to meet increasing expenses and to improve the testing system. Now aspirants will have to pay US$24 to apply for the exam.

Workers from Nepal will be selected only for the manufacturing sector this year. Earlier, Korea used to hire workers from 15 developing countries and Nepal was eligible to send workers in five sectors—agriculture, fishery, construction, manufacturing and services. Nepali workers earn Rs 70,000 a month on an average.

Korea hires workers from Nepal, Vietnam, Mongolia, Thailand, China, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan and East Timor under the EPS introduced in 2004. Nepal signed the EPS agreement in July 2007.

Published on: 3 May 2011 | The Kathmandu Post