Jobs in South Korea: Ministry of Labor announced important news for Kazakhstanis
Tengrinews.kz — Kazakhstan has officially been included in the list of countries participating in South Korea’s Employment Permit System (EPS). The recruitment of Kazakh workers under the program is expected to begin in 2028, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.
Kazakhstan becomes the 18th country in the EPS
Under a decision by the South Korean side, Kazakhstan will become the 18th country participating in the E-9 program.
At present, 17 countries take part in the EPS, including the Philippines, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Cambodia, China, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Nepal, Myanmar and Laos, as well as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Note: Employment Permit System (EPS) is South Korea’s official program for regulating temporary labor migration for low-skilled foreign workers. It was introduced in 2004 by the Ministry of Employment and Labor to address labor shortages in small and medium-sized businesses. The program operates on the basis of bilateral memorandums of understanding between South Korea and sending countries. As of 2025, it covers around 20 countries. Its purpose is the organized recruitment, training, and supervision of foreign workers in order to minimize corruption in recruitment and protect migrants’ rights. In 2011, EPS received the first UN Public Service Award for combating corruption and improving migration management.
For Kazakhstan, participation in the system means that its citizens will be able to obtain official and organized employment in South Korea under a procedure established by the two governments.
When Kazakhstanis will be able to start working in South Korea
Actual recruitment is expected to begin in 2028. Before then, Kazakhstan and South Korea will need to complete a number of organizational measures.
In particular, the two countries plan to sign an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding and establish an EPS-TOPIK center in Kazakhstan, where Korean-language testing will be conducted.
How workers will be selected
Participation in the program involves an official candidate selection process. Applicants will have to complete several stages, including:
Korean-language testing;
assessment of professional skills;
a medical examination.
Selection will be conducted through the official system without informal intermediaries.
“The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Kazakhstan separately warns citizens that, before the procedure is officially launched, they should not give money to intermediaries offering ‘guaranteed employment in Korea’ or promising to speed up the selection process,” the ministry said.
Registration dates, candidate requirements, testing procedures and other conditions will be published through the ministry’s official sources.
Kazakhstan has been working to join the EPS since 2023. In January 2026, a delegation of South Korean experts visited Kazakhstan to assess the country’s readiness to launch the program. The specialists examined issues including the establishment of an EPS center, language testing, assessment of professional skills, medical examinations and informing citizens about the requirements of South Korean law.