South Korea Opens Legal Factory and Cleaning Jobs to Kazakhstanis
Illustration: Orda.kz
Kazakh citizens will be able to apply for jobs in South Korea through its state-run Employment Permit System beginning in 2028, Orda.kz reports, citing The Korea Herald.
Kazakhstan has become the 18th country admitted to the program. Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan already participate from Central Asia.
The Employment Permit System allows South Korean companies to recruit foreign workers for jobs they cannot fill locally. Kazakhstanis will be able to apply for E-9 visas for employment in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, hotels and cleaning services.
The visa allows its holder to work in the country for up to three years, with a possible extension of another 22 months.
Kazakhstan had sought admission to the program for several years. As recently as August 2025, the Ministry of Labor said it was still awaiting a decision from South Korea.
Around 15,000 Kazakhstanis worked in South Korea in 2025, according to official figures. Approximately 11,000 of them were believed to be working without legal status.
In early 2026, South Korea allowed undocumented Kazakh citizens to leave voluntarily without fines or future entry restrictions.
Read also:
Latest news
- Orda.kz Editorial Team to Cease Operations on September 1
- The Price of a Degree: How Students in Kazakhstan Pay for University
- Second Przewalski’s Horse Foal Born as Species Returns to Kazakhstan
- Kazakh Mining Companies Can Recalculate Purchases if Tenge Weakens
- Kazakhstan Names First Vice President in Three Decades
- What Almaty’s Bus Shelters Are Missing
- 400-Truck Queue Builds at Kazakh–Kyrgyz Border
- Kazakhstan Ready to Help Feed and Rebuild Gaza
- Tokayev Establishes New Presidential Security Body
- Almaty Takes Back Its Nearly Century-Old Hippodrome
- No More Guesswork on Savings: Kazakhstan Tightens Energy Audits for Businesses
- Public Money Could Be Used to Rescue Failing Kazakh Banks
- Third Kazakh Woman Reported Missing in Nepal-China Flood Zone
- Falconer Convicted Over 35 Protected Birds, Spared Punishment Under Amnesty
- Kazakh Citizen Detained in Yakutia in Phone Fraud Case
- Yuan Instead of Dollars? KazMunayGas Draws Record Demand in Asia
- China Gains Oil-Market Influence as OPEC+ Weakens
- Kazakhstan to Divide Smartphones Into White, Gray and Black Lists
- Kazakhstan’s Government Formally Resigns as First Kurultai Session Opens
- Rare Lynx Sighting Recorded in Northern Kazakhstan
