Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara said that in 2023 up to now 5,091 Sri Lankans have secured employment in South Korea.
Within the first nine months of 2022, 3,460 Sri Lankans have moved to South Korea for jobs and that number has increased by 44 percent in 2023 for the same period, the Minister said.
The Minister went to South Korea on Tuesday (3) on an official visit and within his stay he will have discussions with the authorities towards securing more jobs for Sri Lankans in South Korea. Fifty four Sri Lankans flew to South Korea on Tuesday (3) to take up jobs in the production sector. Another 36 Sri Lankans flew there for jobs in the production and fisheries sectors yesterday.
Of all who have secured employment in South Korea this year, 3,976 persons have passed the South Korean language exam prior to be flown to South Korea. The rest were re-entry employees who have worked in South Korea earlier.
Within this year 4,991 Sri Lankan males have secured jobs in South Korea and this momentum now is taking an upward trend. Now the job opportunities are opened also for female employees and 100 Sri Lankan female employees have gone there to take up jobs as of today. From the total number, 4,100 male labourers and 98 female labourers have secured jobs in the production sector while 741 males and two females have taken up jobs in the fisheries sector. Three male labourers have secured jobs in the agricultural sector. According to an MOU signed by the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau and Human Resource Development Services Company in South Korea, Sri Lankans were provided with employment in South Korea.
Sri Lankans have been constantly offered with jobs in South Korea as per the MoU since 2004. Sri Lankan youth show a keen interest in moving to South Korea for jobs.
Nanayakkara soon after taking up office as the Labour and Foreign Employment Minister, commenced talks with authorities in South Korea to increase the potential for employment there for Sri Lankans.The process of sending Sri Lankans for South Korean jobs which was lagging behind was accelerated by the Minister with his direct intervention.
