The EPS is recognized as the best system in preventing and combating corruption in the public service this year.

The Employment Permit System (EPS), Korea’s foreign workforce policy, was bestowed the first place prize of UN Public Service Awards (UNPSA) in the category of ‘preventing and combating corruption in the public service’.

The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) released on April 30 that Korea operates the procedures for introducing foreign workforce to the country in a transparent and fair manner through the EPS. The EPS was recognized highly of the improvement of the problems that may occur in the process of selecting and bringing in foreign workers to Korea such as corruption related to sending workforce, violation of human rights and illegal staying of workers.

The EPS managed by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the HRD Korea was introduced in August 2004 to resolve problems of the existing Industrial Trainee System such as excessive workforce sending cost and to support reducing workforce shortage of small and medium-sized companies effectively. The total number of foreign workers (E-9 visa) who have entered Korea under the EPS by the end of February 2011 has been accumulated to 278,815 from 15 countries including Vietnam and the Philippines.

The EPS has been recognized as an exemplary foreign workforce introduction system as it has been successful in carrying out Korean language ability test in a fair manner, managing activities related to candidate workers transparently, making labor contract systematic, and supporting airport immigration and society adaptation.

The UNPSA is the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service in five areas: preventing and combating corruption in the public service, improving the delivery of services, fostering participation in policy-making decisions through innovative mechanisms, advancing knowledge management in government, and promoting gender responsive delivery of public services. The UNPSA takes into consideration a geographical distribution of five continents and awards excellent institutions.

Korea International Labour Foundation (KOILAF) also contributes to a successful settling down of the EPS by providing on-arrival training and society adaptation support services for workers from Vietnam, Mongolia and Thailand, who enter Korea under the system.