Korean Language Test application period set for Jan. 25-29

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has set January 25-29 as the application period for the Korean Language Test (KLT), an important step in the application process under the Korean Employment Permit System (EPS). In an announcement posted on the POEA website, the agency urged workers wishing to work in South Korea to prepare early for qualification in the List of Jobseekers, from which Korean employers will electronically select workers. Jobs offered are in the manufacturing and construction sectors under the foreign labor quota for 2010, the announcement further stated. Part of the procedure is for the applicants to ensure that they are registered on or before January 15 with the electronic manpower registry of the POEA through its website. The agency also reminded previously registered applicants to keep their account active and updated, which means they should have visited their accounts within the last three months or less. In order to qualify for the KLT, the applicant should: be 18 to 38 years old; at least be a high school graduate; have a passport valid for at least six months; have no criminal or imprisonment record; and have not been restricted to travel to Korea due to a past immigration violation. Requirements for the KLT application include a payment of the US$17 or P850 fee payable to the Human Resources Development Service (HRDS) of Korea and two 2"x2" ID pictures with name tag. Selected registration venues in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will be announced later, while the examination is targeted to be on the last Sunday of February or first Sunday of March. The KLT covers 50 items divided into reading (40 minutes) and listening (30 minutes) to be taken from the pool of questions in the KLT Reviewer of the HRDS. Each correct answer is equivalent to four points, and an applicant needs at least 80 points to pass the test. The application requires no formal Korean language training and the KLT Reviewer with answer keys can be downloaded from the POEA website. – Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV