Youths aspiring to work in South Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS) staged a protest outside the EPS office at Balkumari, in Lalitpur. The protesters, comprising individuals who had passed the EPS tests over one and half years ago, voiced their frustration over prolonged delays in their deployment to the Korean job market.

The demonstrators demanded that priority be given to those who had passed earlier, even suggesting sectoral changes if necessary to expedite the process. “We’ve been waiting for far too long. It’s only fair that those who passed first should be sent first,” Susmita Yogi, one of the protestors said..

The protest highlighted the increasing discontent among these candidates, who have been left in uncertainty despite completing the required tests and procedures.

South Korea announces an annual employment quota under the Employment Permit System for workers from 16 countries, including Nepal, to work in agriculture and manufacturing sectors. For Nepal, the annual quota has remained in the range of 5,000–10,000, according to Nepal Labour Migration Report 2022.

Since Nepal and Korea signed a memorandum of understanding to send Nepalis to South Korea under the EPS in 2007, there has been rapid growth in Nepalis seeking to go to the east Asian country for employment.