Nepali people wait in line to apply for Korean Language Test (KLT) in Katmandu, Nepal in June 2010.

The Human Resources Development Service of Korea on August 23 (Tuesday), 2011 published the results of the Korean Language Test (KLT) held last month. A total of 15,298 individuals have passed the exam making them eligible to go to Korea to work, according to the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management.

Over 50,000 candidates sat for the test held from July 22-23 hoping to get a job in Korean firms under the Employment Permit System (EPS). Recently, Korea increased the job quota for Nepal to 15,000 because of the good track record of Nepali workers and fast sending procedure. Korea had offered 4,000 EPS job openings last year.

According to the ministry, 13,298 of the successful candidates will be allowed to work in manufacturing and 2,000 in agriculture after passing a medical test. Korea has been hiring Nepali workers under the EPS provision since 2008, and so far more than 9,000 persons have obtained jobs.

Kashi Raj Dahal, director of the Department of Foreign Employment, said the medical test will begin Sunday. “Five government hospitals—Patan Hospital, TU Teaching, Bir Hospital, Teku Hospital and Civil Service Hospital—have been authorised to conduct tests of EPS aspirants.”

Korea, known as a lucrative job destination among Nepali foreign employment aspirants, hires workers from 15 countries—Nepal, Pakistan, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Mongolia, Thailand, China, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan and East Timor under the EPS.