Kazakhstan has officially been included in South Korea's Employment Permit System (EPS), allowing its citizens to work legally and safely in the Asian country, reports infohub.kz.
According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, the Korean side decided to include Kazakhstan in the EPS program, making it the 18th participating country. This opens new opportunities for Kazakhstani citizens to find official employment in South Korea.
The recruitment of Kazakhstani workers to the Republic of Korea is expected to begin in 2028. Prior to that, a set of organizational measures must be completed, including signing an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding and establishing an EPS-TOPIK center in Kazakhstan for Korean language testing, the ministry said.
Efforts to include Kazakhstan in the EPS have been underway since 2023. During this period, necessary procedures have been consistently completed to ensure organized selection and preparation of citizens. In January 2026, a Korean delegation of experts visited Kazakhstan to assess the country's readiness to launch the system. The focus was on establishing an EPS center, conducting language testing, assessing professional skills, medical examinations, and informing citizens about South Korean legal requirements. Based on the results, the Korean side recognized Kazakhstan's readiness to participate in the system, the ministry added.
Participation in EPS will allow Kazakhstani citizens to apply for official employment in South Korea through a state-established procedure. A key difference of the new mechanism is that worker selection will be organized through an official system, not through informal intermediaries. Candidates will have to go through the system's stages, including language testing, professional skills assessment, and medical examination, the ministry clarified.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Kazakhstan separately warns citizens: before the official launch of the procedure, do not transfer money to intermediaries who offer "guaranteed employment in Korea" or promise accelerated selection. All information will be communicated through official sources.