The expiration date of around 12,000 Nepali workers who have been selected to work in South Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS) is set to expire in two months. If the expiration date of the roster is not extended within that time, their names will be removed from the list to go to Korea.

The roster of 12,000 people who were re-selected from agriculture, shipping, and Korea (CBT) in 2024 is expiring by the end of February. According to EPS, the largest number of people selected by February are 6,400 in the agriculture sector, 2,500 in the CBT sector, and 3,100 in the shipping sector. 

According to the labor agreement between Nepal and Korea, those who have passed the language test, skill test, and medical are placed on the roster. But the roster has a validity of two years. Workers whose rosters are about to expire have been staging a sit-in at the EPS office of the Department of Foreign Employment since last Wednesday, demanding an extension. They allege that the EPS branch of the Department of Foreign Employment and the Human Resources Department (HRD) of Korea in Lalitpur have been late in sending the list to employers on time. 

‘Employers in Korea are asking for workers. But the files are not being sent from here on time. Some names are being sent repeatedly. "No one's name has been sent even once," Kedar Raut, who is leading the movement, told Kantipur. "We feel that there is collusion in this. There should be an investigation. There should be no hoarding of files here. Everyone's files should be sent to the company. It is up to the employer to choose or not." Raut said that there is no need to conduct another test as long as those on the roster are not allowed to go to Korea. 

The agitating workers had also demanded the removal of EPS branch director Binda Acharya, citing delay in work. The Department of Foreign Employment removed Acharya on Friday and sent Tikaram Dhakal in his place. The department has stated that he will assume the responsibility from Sunday.