South Korea warns: EPS staff may not return if recalled over safety in Nepal

KATHMANDU: South Korea has expressed serious concern over the safety of its officials stationed in Nepal to facilitate the Employment Permit System (EPS) and has warned that if the security of its staff is compromised, it may not be possible to send personnel to Nepal in the future.

A delegation led by the head of South Korea’s Human Resources division under the Ministry of Labor and Employment held an emergency meeting with officials of the Nepali Embassy on Friday to convey the concern.

South Korea established the HR division in Nepal specifically to recruit Nepali workers under the EPS program. The warning comes after Nepali workers, who have passed the Korean language and skills tests, staged ongoing protests demanding an extension of their roster period. According to the Korean officials, these protests have posed additional risks to the safety of their staff.

“We cannot adopt a separate policy for Nepal alone,” a Nepali Embassy official quoted the Korean delegation during the meeting, adding, “Nepali workers must follow the same EPS procedures as the other 16 participating countries.”

Roster Cuts: 12,000 Nepali Workers at Risk

Nepali workers who passed the language test are demanding an extension of the roster period, employment guarantees for 90% of those on the roster, priority for the second-phase test, options for sector changes, and up to 20–25 rounds of employer-profile matching.

To press these demands, workers have staged sit-ins, rallies, and protests in front of EPS branches in Gwarko, CBT, and UBT Hall, Bhainsepati.

Nepal is preparing to send a high-level team to discuss these demands with South Korean authorities, with the South Korean Deputy Minister allocating the last week of February for the talks.

South Korea has reportedly recruited the highest number of workers from Nepal among the 17 countries under the EPS program.

According to the Korean delegation, 44.8% of all foreign workers in South Korea are Nepali.

Last year alone, Nepali workers accounted for 18% of all foreign recruits from these 17 countries. Employers in South Korea continue to prioritize Nepalese workers.

EPS Roster Rules and Past Recruitment

Nepali workers who pass the language test are allowed only a two-year period on the roster. If they are not selected by an employer within this period, they must retake the language test.

South Korea began recruiting Nepali workers under EPS in 2007. To date, 121,000 Nepalis have gone to South Korea under the program, including 8,700 women.

The Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security has already received a detailed report from the committee formed to investigate the issues.

The Department of Foreign Employment has recorded all the concerns raised by the protesting workers.

EPS branch chief Tikaram Dhakal, in a notice issued on Jan 24, urged workers to present their demands in writing and warned that if any individual, staff, or institution is found responsible for preventing eligible candidates from going to South Korea, action would be taken according to the law. He appealed to all stakeholders to resolve issues through dialogue rather than protests, sit-ins, or rallies.