Korea has established an HRD to recruit workers to Nepal under the EPS. Korea issued this warning after Nepalis who have passed the Korean language and skills test have been protesting regularly demanding an extension of the roster time.
What you should know
South Korea has expressed serious concern over the safety of its Human Resources Department (HRD) staff in Nepal, which facilitates the sending of workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS). It has also drawn the attention of the Nepalese government to the fact that it is not possible to send HRD staff again if it has to recall its employees for security reasons.
A team led by the head of the department in charge of human resources at the Korean Ministry of Labor and Employment held an emergency meeting with Nepali embassy officials on Friday and informed them of this.
Korea has established an HRD to bring workers to Nepal under the EPS. Korea issued this warning after Nepalis who have passed the Korean language and skills test have been protesting regularly demanding an extension of their roster time. Korea understands that the protests by those who have passed the language test have added challenges to the security of its employees.
‘We cannot adopt a separate policy just for Nepal,’ a Nepali embassy official who attended the meeting with the Korean official told Ikantipur over the phone, quoting Korea’s statement. ‘There is only one system to bring workers from 17 countries through the EPS.’ Nepal should also send workers from the same system.'
Nepalis who have passed the language test have demanded an extension of the roster period and ensuring employment for 90 percent of those on the roster. They are demanding that those on the roster be given priority for the second round of the exam, change of area, and ensuring that their profiles match the demands of employers 20 to 25 times. Nepal is preparing to send a high-level team to discuss their demands. For this, the Korean Deputy Minister has given time until the last week of February.
Korea has informed that it has selected the largest number of workers from Nepal out of 17 countries. ‘So far, 44.8 percent of the foreign workers who have come to Korea are Nepalese.’ Last year alone, 18 percent of the Nepali workers who have come from 17 countries have come,’ a Korean official informed the embassy officials in a meeting on Friday, ‘Employers are also giving priority to Nepal.’
Korea has a roster period of only two years for students who have passed the language test. If an employer is not selected within two years, they will have to take the language test again. Korea has started taking Nepalis since 2007. So far, 121,000 people have gone, of which 8,700 are women.
The investigation committee formed by the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security to resolve the problem has submitted a detailed report to the ministry. The Department of Foreign Employment has stated that it has recorded the issues raised by the protestors.
