Difficulty of Korean language test for migrant workers to increase

[unreal.livejournal.com]

South Korea's labor ministry said Saturday it will increase the difficulty of the Korean language test for non-professional migrant workers from this year, a move to improve their proficiency of the Korean language.

Since 2005, South Korea has required foreign nationals with E-9 visas to pass the Korean language test. When they pass the test, they are allowed to be registered to work here.

As Korean language lessons were not handy for many of the migrant workers in Asian countries, the ministry comprised the test from a pool of already-disclosed 2,000 questions.

From the first-half of this year, however, the test will include questions that have not been disclosed, officials at the Ministry of Employment and Labor said.

"While the Korean language test has helped increase fairness and transparency in selecting migrant workers, there have been opinions that the test has a limit in making the workers proficient in Korean," a ministry official said.

It wasn't immediately made clear when the new test will start.

The ministry said it will gradually increase the proportion of "undisclosed questions" in the Korean language test to prevent a sharp decline in the number of workers who pass the test.

South Korea plans to hire some 48,000 non-professional foreign workers this year, up from 34,000 in 2010, according to the ministry's Web site.

Those workers are mostly hired by employers in the sectors of manufacturing, agriculture, livestock and fishing farms, it said.

Source: yonhapnews

Comments

[evanelric.livejournal.com]

Kind of wish America would get on this, too. :|

as in, institute a language comprehension test for work visas. I realised that could be misconstrued :|

[evanelric.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't go that far. :| Depending on the region and what you're doing you can get by as long as there's someone who can translate for you and you do the work. I'm really good at parsing things from accented/broken English most of the time and I've had to do business with people that even I've had a hard time understanding. :\

[liime-arix.livejournal.com]

I always thought an understanding of the English language was a requirement, or is it only for citizenship & permanent residency?

[kiwilovekiwi.livejournal.com]

For citizenship it's a requirement but if you're just getting a permanent resident status, it's not necessary.

[allisnotlost.livejournal.com]

yes and no. no for permanent residency and if you are above age 55 (i think it's 55 but definitely above 50) you can take your civics test for citizenship in your native tongue. my mother did it in spanish after 55 at my urging to vote in the last prez election... but otherwise i dont think she would have ever taken the test. the other 2 aunts took theirs in english earlier but had to know very limited english and be able to write a few basic sentences.

[liime-arix.livejournal.com]

Thank you, since I'm not from America, I wasn't sure.

[allisnotlost.livejournal.com]

youre welcome. we have some funky rules here. the u.s. is pretty open w/ dual citizenship too unlike most countries. like i can actually get mexican citizenship and salvadoran citizenship because of where my parents are from by not even stepping into the country (or even knowing the language) just by going to the consulate and filing an application! i can be a citizen of 3 countries!

jw, where are you from?

[liime-arix.livejournal.com]

My neighbors purposely made sure all their daughters were conceived in America for dual citizenship.
I'd like to apply for citizenship when I'm older, but it takes so long, I've heard.

I'm from Barbados, it's in the Caribbean.

[allisnotlost.livejournal.com]

ah, i know where barbados is (sad that i know because rihanna is from there...) and are you currently a perm resident? i think it takes 5 years of permanent residency and then then you can apply. the time can be shorten to 3 years if you marry a citizen or if you are a from certain countries. the process is mostly costly, but it doesn't seem too difficult. i think the immigrant to permanent resident is probably the hardest and can take up to 15 years for some people.

[firelakie.livejournal.com]

What up fellow Bajan! Actually I'm Yankee-born of Bajan parents.

Re: late passerby

[allisnotlost.livejournal.com]

no you're right. i guess i didn't phrase it right and re-reading it i can see how i messed it up. it is pretty "american or nothing" what i meant was, OTHER countries are open to dual citizenship w/ the u.s. and uh im jealous of canada's multiculturalism and universal healthcare :(

[k0dama.livejournal.com]

It is a good idea to be able to speak and understand Korean while in Korea, otherwise you may be severely disadvantaged/taken advantage of in a country that boasts a 99% literacy rate.