Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Only 10% of the participants passed the Korean language test conducted by the EPS Korea Branch under the Department of Foreign Employment.
According to the EPS Korea Branch, about 90% of examinees failed the language test conducted to select workers for employment in South Korea through the Employment Permit System (EPS) in 2024.
Out of a total of 125,000 candidates who sat for the language test for the manufacturing sector, only 13,904 passed, according to EPS Korea Branch Director Maya Kandel. She added that although the number of applicants was 10 times higher than South Korea’s quota for Nepal, 90% did not make the selection.
According to Kandel, many candidates may have failed the test because it had to be taken via computer. “We are discussing with Korea’s Human Resources Department why such a large number of candidates are failing the language test,” she added.
The EPS Korea Branch conducted the exam in three phases due to the large turnout of candidates. However, the language language test will be conducted only once a year from next year. The branch has formally notified that the number of candidates will be capped at three times the available quota.
South Korea initially allocated a quota of 15,000 Nepali workers for the manufacturing sector for this year. It, however, increased the quota to 16,400.
A total of 19,214 Nepali workers left for South Korea for employment through the EPS system last year. About 14,000 Nepalis were recruited by Korean companies in 2022.
South Korea has been recruiting Nepali workers in agriculture and livestock, manufacturing, shipbuilding, root industry, forestry, and service sectors.
The Asian nation sources workers from 16 countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Cambodia and Myanmar, through the EPS. South Korea has announced that it will recruit 165,000 foreign workers in 2024.
