17,438 apply for Korea jobs on first day

Govt asks Korea to hire Nepalis in construction sector also

KATHMANDU, April 17: A total of 17,438 applications have been collected on the first day from various collection centers for jobs in South Korea under the 6th Employment Permit System (EPS).

The Dharan collection center received 3,099 applications, the highest number among 10 collection centers nationwide, while a total of 10,103 forms were collected from five collection centers in Kathmandu, informed EPS Korea Center in Nepal.

Forms are being collected from various 10 centers -- five in Kathmandu and one each in Janakapur, Dharan, Butwal, Pokhara and Dadeldhura.

Chief of EPS Korea Center in Nepal Dilli Ram Bastola hinted that the number of applicants this time will be around the same as last year. A total of 19,552 applications were collected from seven centers on the first day last year. The applicants will sit for a Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) slated for September 13 and 14.

Unlike last year, the application collection process this year saw no managerial hassles as three additional collection centers have been added.

"We made some changes to the internal management to handle the crowd and were able to convince youths that submitting forms on the first day doesn't increase probability of selection under EPS," added Bastola.

Last year, Police had to resort to baton-charge to manage the crowds at some collection centers.

This is will the sixth TOPIK after Nepal and Korea agreed on EPS for recruiting Nepali workers.

A total of more than 15,000 Nepali workers are working in Korea under this system in agricultural and industrial sectors.

A total of 62,514 applications were filled last year while 58,770, out of total applicants, appeared in the language test held in September last year. Only 3,663 candidates passed the test conducted by the Human Resource Department EPS-Korea.

The candidates who pass the TOPIK are registered in the roster of workers of South Korea and are supplied according to employer's demand.

Meanwhile, the government has asked South Korea to hire Nepalis in the construction sector also. The Ministry of Labor and Employment (MoLE) has sent a proposal to South Korea through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hire construction workers under the EPS.

Secretary at the MoLE Bhola Siwakoti informed that the ministry has forwarded a proposal to hire Nepali workers also in the sector of construction. "But we haven't got any reply," he said. Siwakoti added that no agreement been signed so far to increase the quota this year.