Kazakhstan has officially joined the Employment Permit System (EPS) of South Korea for attracting foreign workers. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
It is planned to attract citizens of Kazakhstan to work in the Republic of Korea starting from 2028. The official statement of the ministry says that before that, it is necessary to complete a number of organizational measures, such as signing an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding, as well as opening an EPS-TOPIK center in Kazakhstan that will conduct Korean language testing.
Earlier, a delegation of Korean experts who arrived in Kazakhstan assessed the level of readiness to launch the system. In particular, the requirements for establishing an EPS center, organizing Korean language testing, assessing professional skills, conducting medical examinations, and explaining the requirements of South Korean legislation to citizens were checked. The experts confirmed that Kazakhstan is fully ready to participate in the system.
According to ministry specialists, participation in the EPS system will allow citizens of Kazakhstan to officially find employment in South Korea within the procedures established by the states. The main feature of the new mechanism is that the selection of workers is carried out not through intermediaries, but only through the official system. Candidates take a Korean language test.
Registration deadlines, candidate requirements, testing procedures, and other information will be published on the ministry's official website. In this regard, ministry specialists warn against giving money to intermediaries who offer accelerated selection.
It should be noted that the separate E-9 system includes the Philippines, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Cambodia, China, Bangladesh, East Timor, Nepal, Myanmar, and Laos. From Central Asia, along with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan have also joined.