South Korean jobs:

No third party involvement

Rasika Somarathna

The selection of candidates for jobs in South Korea is strictly a prerogative of the Korean Human Resources Department and Korean companies and there is no third party involvement in the process, Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) chairman Amal Senalankadikara said.

He said certain rogue elements were making efforts to embezzle money from South Korean job aspirants with false promises.

Senalankadikara appealed from job seekers not to be misled by false assurances or give money to any individual or organisation promising employment opportunities in exchange.

The chairman said his department received a number of complaints from individuals who have fallen prey to such fraudsters.

"The selection of candidates are done in a transparent manner under the supervision and guidance of the Korean Human Resources Department. No third party in Sri Lanka can interfere in the process," he said.

Explaining the mechanism of recruitment, Senalankadikara said the South Korean Employment Permit System (EPS) is strictly a government-to-government hiring scheme for foreign workers. He said the first hurdle for job aspirants was the Korean language proficiency test. Only those who pass the test are eligible for jobs in Korea via the EPS agreed upon by the two governments, he said.

Senalankadikara said details of those who pass the language test are posted on the Korean Human Resources Department website after it is ratified by Korean authorities. The details will remain in the web for two years.

He said during the period, Korean entrepeneurs will choose candidates according to their choice and will inform their human resources department. The Korean HRD will inform the SLBFE.