Korean Labour and Employment Minister Lee Jung-Sik assured Minister Manusha Nanayakkara yesterday(14) that action will be taken to open new employment opportunities for Sri Lankans in Korea and also increase the number of jobs provided to Sri Lankans.
On the invitation of the Minister Nanayakkara, Korean Minister Lee Jung-Sik arrived in Sri Lanka this morning for a two-day official visit. Foreign Employment Promotion State Minister Jagath Pushpakumara received the Korean Minister at the airport.
The official meeting between the two Ministers was held at the Labour and Foreign Employment Ministry. They had a long discussion about taking necessary measures to get more employment opportunities for Sri Lankans in Korea.
The Korean Minister told Minister Nanayakkara that after 20 years the EPS system under which foreigners are recruited for employment in South Korea will be amended and as a result Sri Lankan job aspirants will get more opportunities to work in Korea.
Minister Nanayakkara requested that Korea opens up new employment fields such as the garment sector and caregiver sector, and received a positive response from the Korean Minister.
It was discussed that a large number of workers are needed for jobs in the Korean ship construction industry and that there are more opportunities for Sri Lankan skilled workers in that sector.
Before coming to Sri Lanka, Minister Lee Jung-Sik had met large number of Sri Lankans working in Korea and the Korean Minister appreciated their productivity and commitment.
Minister Lee Jung-Sik further assured to provide full support to every step taken in the future to provide more employment opportunities to Sri Lankans in Korea by further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries.
A group of representatives including the Director General of the Korean Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Korean Ambassador in Sri Lanka attended this event.
