Islamabad (TDI): The Pakistan EPS Center and the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) have reaffirmed their commitment to increasing employment opportunities for Pakistani workers in South Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS), in a meeting on Tuesday.
The discussions, involving officials from the Pakistan EPS Center and OEC, focused on future plans to expand the dispatch of Pakistani workers while addressing key concerns related to recruitment and selection. The initiative operates under the supervision of the Human Resources Development Service of Korea.
Officials highlighted that South Korean employers tend to favor workers with stronger Korean language skills, as this helps with workplace adaptation, improves productivity, and reduces the likelihood of industrial accidents.
The EPS Center expressed hope that an increase in highly proficient candidates from Pakistan would enhance the country’s reputation among employers over time.
The recruitment process under EPS remains fully automated and merit-based. Candidates are shortlisted through a computerized system that recommends three applicants per vacancy, with final hiring decisions made solely by employers. Authorities emphasized that no external entity or individual can influence this process.
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Under the points-based selection system, candidates are ranked strictly according to their performance in the Korean language test and the skills competency assessment.
From this year, the minimum passing score for the language test in the manufacturing sector has been raised to 60 points. While the technical skills portion of the assessment will be simplified, greater weight will be given to interviews to improve evaluation.
Addressing concerns about delays in job referrals, officials stated that candidates who have remained longer on the roster are given priority when matching with employer demand.
However, they noted that the pace of worker dispatch has recently slowed due to quota adjustments by South Korea’s Foreign Workforce Policy Committee, following a surge in arrivals after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The EPS Center also clarified that apart from differences in industry demand, all participating countries are subject to the same recruitment standards and procedures.
