KATHMANDU: The South Korean government has announced plans to recruit additional 3600 Nepalese workers to assist in its agricultural and industrial zone this year.

South Korea’s human resource development(HRD) made such announcements stating that the recruitment will be done through its Employment Permission System (EPS). 

A formal announcement in this regard is slated to be announced for May 29 later this year. However information posted on the department’s website has stated that along with Nepal, other seven countries will be also vying for the South Korean jobs.

Though these jobs are mostly controversial as more and more labor exploitation report keep pouring in from South Korea, nonetheless getting a job in that nation has been most sought after opportunity for unemployed Nepalese youths.

Ujbekistan, Timo Leste, Myanmar, Thailan, Indonesia, Phillipines and Mangolia will be competing in the KLT tests offered by the EPS department, Nepali newspaper Karobar Dainik reported on Wednesday.

As of 2013, of the total 2,600 Nepalese who had qualified for employment in South Korean farms, only 600 are left to join there. But some 9000 Nepalese who had qualified to work in industrial zone this year are still in the waiting list.

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News compiled/translated/edited by Sabina Shrestha

Seoul ,South Korea. A Nepali professor has been awarded a prestigious honor by the South Korean government for his remarkable research in apiculture.

Department of Agricultural Biology, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA awarded Thapa and his three South Korean counterparts for their contribution in reducing mortality rate of bees to 10 percent from 90 percent way back in 2007.

Formerly a Professor in the Agriculture Department in Thailand’s university, Thapa was invited by the South Korean government after their apiculture begin to deplete due to the increasing mortality rates of the bee.

Thapa and his team succeeded in addressing the South Korean apiculture concern after a rigorous research for two years. Now happy with the results, Thapa said that he and his team had worked day and night for the present results.

Along with that, he acknowledged the huge investment made by the SK government in apiculture research and technology development. However this is not the first time that South Korean government has awarded him.

So far he had bagged dozens of honors for his extraordinary research capacities and contribution. Presently his research is centered on increasing the population queen bees.

Thapa says that South Korea and Nepal have climatic proximity and claims that Nepal too has huge potentials for apiculture. Though the South Korean government is pressing on Thapa for continuing his research there, he has plans to return to Nepal and use his skills for developing apiculture in Nepal.

KATHMANDU: Various stakeholders have voiced complaint for the government’s apathy to heed the concerns of Nepali labourers in South Korea.

At an interaction programme organized here on Friday by Nepali Immigrant Workers Solidarity Centre, various speakers lambasted the government for being indifferent to resolve several problems related to perks and benefits of workers as per contract, woes of workers entering Korea under agriculture and fishing visa and growing rate of suicide by Nepali workers.

Former Ambassador of Nepal to Korea Kamal Koirala said the government should not turn the deaf ear to plethora of problems ranging recurrent mystery deaths of Nepali workers, dependant visa related complications and deferral in EPS procedure.

Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Chairperson Shiva Gaunle stressed that people going for overseas employment should themselves be cautious rather than approaching the government when they face troubles in foreign land.

FNJ, Korea Chapter Chairperson Raghu Tripathi accused the Nepali Embassy in Korea of being indifferent towards resolving the problems faced by Nepali workers.

Columnist Rabindra Mishra suggested the government to take immediate measures to address pathetic situation of Nepali workers in Gulf countries which are more vulnerable than South Korea.

Nepali Congress (NC) central member Bhisma Raj Angdembe demanded the arrangement of labour attaché to address these issues.

It has been noted that the number of Nepali students in South Korea during the 90s only stood at four while it saw exponential rise after the Olympic games in Korea in 1998. RSS