A total of 8,490 individuals have passed this year’s Korean language test as part of the Employment Permit System examinations for South Korea, according to results published by the Human Resources Development Service of Korea.

While conducting the exams, the HRD had said it will only select 7,100 candidates but nevertheless 19.5 percent of the candidates have got through the language test. Among them, 5,817 have been selected for manufacturing sector while 2,673 were selected for agriculture and animal husbandry sector. Of the total successful

candidates, 7,789 are male while 101 are female.

A total of 43,406 candidates had taken the EPS exam held in Kathmandu and Pokhara on September 19 and 20 last month. Total 51,137 had applied for the language test.

The successful candidates will enter South Korea within two years for employment. There is a high chance that a lot of people who passed for manufacturing sector will go to Korea in 2016 as the number of those who passed the test was low last time. However, relatively low demand for farm labour means that those passed for agriculture sector will have to wait longer.

According to Dilliram Bastola, EPS Nepal section director, process for conducting health tests and other official procedures for the successful candidates will begin in late November. This year, candidates who correctly answered 37 questions were selected for agriculture sector while those who correctly answered more than 43 were selected for manufacturing.

Till date, six EPS tests have been conducted in Nepal in order to select unskilled manpower to work in small and cottage industries in South Korea. Altogether 205,298 people have appeared in the six examinations. The first EPS test was conducted in Nepal in 2008 after a deal with the Korean government on July 23, 2007. A total of 31,525 candidates had taken the first test in which 6,786 had passed.

According to South Korean immigration department, more than 32,000 Nepalis have entered Korea after the EPS system was launched. Latest data shows that, in the last eight years, a total of 32,587 Nepalis (30,535 men and 2,052 women) have got employment opportunities in the country.