Om Astha Rai

Despite having to queue up for 16 hours, brave drizzles in the night and squat on the muddy road without a wink of sleep, Sundar KC of Beteni-3 in Nuwakot, wore a jolly face on Monday. He had managed to apply for a language test, success in which will help him get a job in Korea.

The 20-year-old had reached Gaushala at 11 p.m. Monday to submit a form for the Korean language test. He managed to get inside Ved Bidhyashram Secondary School at Gaushala -- one of four venues for submitting test forms -- by 3 p.m. Tuesday. "It was a punishing queue," he said. "But I stood up all night. I was determined not to fill the form."

Like Sundar, thousands of unemployed and semi-employed youths braved Monday night´s drizzles and Tuesday´s scorching heat to appear in the Korean language test to be held July 22 and 23. To avoid the hours-long queues seen last year, the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has selected four venues, three in Kathmandu and one in Butwal, this year. However, the Korean job aspirants did not find things any easier this time either.

The Employment Permit System (EPS) section at DoFE was busy collecting the forms till late Monday night. "We are not done with counting the forms yet," Mahesh Acharya, EPS section chief at DoFE, said Monday night. An estimated 15,000 job seekers applied for the test the first day. The last day for submitting forms is May 5.

Under the EPS system introduced in 2004, South Korea has sought 7,100 workers from Nepal this year -- up 3,000 over last year. Over 60,000 Nepali jobseekers are expected to appear in this year´s test. South Korean companies will hire workers who pass the test. Around 32,000 youths appeared in last year´s test.

"Korean jobs under the EPS system are a rage among employed and unemployed youths alike as there are no chances of being swindled," said Sappan Sapkota, who runs a Korean language centre, "You have to pay a minimum of Rs 70,000 for landing a pathetic job in the Gulf. But under this system, you can get a lucrative job with no more than this amount."

Published on: 3 May 2011 | Republica