Korean language test is likely to see 20‚000 women going for it.

The craze for Korean jobs has taken Nepali youth by storm. Thousands of job seekers stood outside the Employment Permit System (EPS) centres to apply for the Test of Proficiency in Korean.

“I want to go to Korea,” said Muna Ghale, a 19-year old girl from the Lamjung district. She has dressed like a Korean girl, which worked just fine on her Mongolian looks. “I am applying for Test of Proficiency in Korean to go to South Korea and work,” she said.

Low cost and better wages are driving the job seekers, said Chandra Man Shrestha, director general of Department of Foreign Employment. According to him, both men and women are equally keen on an EPS jobs but this time, the number of women applying for EPS has significantly increased. “One-third of EPS-Test of Proficiency in Korean applicants are women,” he said.

As per the ratio, around 18,000 to 20,000 women are expected to apply for the Korean language test. The department has estimated 60,000 applications in EPS-Test of Proficiency in Korean 2011, which is around 18,000 more than the previous Test of Proficiency in Korean held a year ago.

EPS workers are earning at least $1,000 (Rs 70,000) per month from the job that costs just Rs 65,000 to complete the formalities. “If the cost of language training, language test fee and other costs are also taken into account, an EPS aspirant would spend above Rs 1,00,000,” he said.

Nepali overseas job aspirants are spending Rs 70,000 for Malaysia and Rs 80,000 for Gulf countries where they earn less than $250 (Rs 17,500). Though there is no educational degree requirement for EPS, most of the job seekers have completed their school education. “I am applying for Test of Proficiency in Korean because of good salary standards there,” Nabin Basnet, a university graduate standing in the serpentine queue in front of the Chyasal centre, said.He is earning Rs 12,000 working in a private school in Lalitpur.

“I have done Bachelor in Arts but did not get a job,” said Anjan Rasaili of Hetauda. According to him, he struggled for a job for three years but did not get one. So, he decided to take part in the Test of Proficiency in Korean.

“If I am not successful in the Test of Proficiency in Korean, I will definitely go to Gulf countries because there is no job opportunity here in the country,” he said.

Published on: 5 May 2011 | The Himalayan Times