140 Nepalis selected for Korea

South Korea has selected first batch of Nepalis. Among the 6,767 candidates, who have filled out the job application form to go to Republic of Korea for employment purpose under employment permit system (EPS), the Department of Labour and Employment Promotion (DoLEP) has today received 140 names.
Out of the total 31,175 who have appeared in the Korean Language Test (KLT), a first step inthe process of getting jobs in South Korea under EPS, only 6767 have passed the test.
Out of the total 6,767-passed candidates, 140 names have been selected from the merit list. “We are in a process of receiving more names,” said Keshar Bahadur Baniya, director general (DG) at the DoLEP. “Now they will undergo training for a maximum of 15 days,” he said, adding that immediately after they get certificate of conformation of visa issuance (CCVI), the governmentwill fix the airlines to fly them to Korea.
“Government will select the airlines that offers the low cost,” he added.
Around 5,500 will get a chance to go to South Korea, where they will be paid no less than $900 salary excluding lodging, fooding and medical expenses. A total cost for the whole process doesnot exceed $970 (around Rs 63,050) that includes $17 for the test that they had already paid and tickets.
The KLT-EPS exam was jointly conducted by EPS section of DoLEP and the Human Resource Department of Korea but conducted by the Tribhuvan University (TU).
The Korean HRD officials had taken the answer sheets back to Korea for final marking.According to the Korean government’s Foreign Workforce Plan, Korea plans to bring in 1,32,000 foreign workers — of which 60,000 will be ethnic Koreans living overseas and 72,000 foreigners — in 2008.
The total figure for 2008 is up by 23,000 from 1,09,000 of 2007. “But if 1,27,000 foreigners to be imported to replace those who will be deported due to the expiry of their sojourn period and illegal stay are excluded, there will be a net increase of just 5,000 workers,” states the plan.
At a meeting of the Foreign Workforce Policy Committee, chaired by the head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, on February 14, the Korean government had announced its 2008 Foreign Workforce Import Plan.
Destination Korea for jobs is considered to be among the most preferred for Nepali jobseekersbecause of better earnings and cheaper initial cost to get job under EPS.
Nepal and South Korea had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in July last year. The agreement has set proficiency of the Korean language as a major condition of eligibility for employment in South Korea.Nepal — after South Korea and Bahrain — is also looking forward to sign agreement with Japan.