South Korea paves way for labor migrants from Kazakhstan

South Korea wants to include Kazakhstan in its Employment Permit System (EPS) to let Kazakhstanis legally work in the country, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Kazakhstan.  

«Following the negotiations, representatives of the Ministry of Employment and Labor of the Republic of Korea confirmed their intention to include Kazakhstan in the EPS. This will enable Kazakhstanis to work legally in South Korea under the signed employment contracts,» the agency said in a statement.

During his official trip to South Korea, Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Labor and Social Protection Askarbek Yertayev revealed what his agency has been doing to streamline the process of labor migration to Korea.

«We are taking a number of comprehensive measures to enhance the legal framework to protect labor and social rights of migrants. For instance, we are working on establishing a multifunctional center for professional and language training in Almaty for those who want to work in South Korea,» he reported.

He also said that his agency is collaborating with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MFA) of Kazakhstan as they try to bolster measures aimed at combating illegal migration and fostering favorable conditions for the expansion of legal labor activities.

Last year, Park Jin, former minister of foreign affairs of South Korea, had announced that Seoul was willing to develop close cooperation with Kazakhstan. 

At the same time, Aibek Smadiyarov, the official spokesperson for Kazakhstan’s MFA, emphasized that Kazakhstani citizens are permitted to work in Korea only after receiving special approvals and labor visas arranged by their employers.

In April 2022, Kazakhstan and South Korea resumed the mutual visa-free travel agreement. Citizens of both states are allowed to stay in the other country for 30 days.

This summer, direct air travel between Kazakhstan and South Korea (Astana-Seoul) was also resumed.