Cooperation between Uzbekistan and South Korea in the field of labor mobility has continued for more than 30 years.
 

What has changed during this period?
 

The cooperation that began with simple employment opportunities has now reached the stage of training specialists directly in Uzbekistan in line with the requirements of the Korean labor market.
 

It all began in 1994.
 

Initially, citizens were employed through direct agreements with Korean companies and organizations. Since 2007, a new and systematic mechanism — the EPS program — has been launched.
 

The results can also be seen in the figures.
 

From 2007 to the present, nearly 50,000 Uzbek citizens have been employed in Korea under E-9 visas.
 

However, over the years, both the requirements of the Korean labor market and the criteria for selecting candidates have changed.
 

Today, it is not only language proficiency that matters — professional skills, experience, and practical training are also important.
 

Accordingly, the areas of cooperation have also expanded.
 

The E-8 seasonal employment program was added to the E-9 program. New opportunities then emerged in such sectors as agriculture, shipbuilding, construction, mining, and forestry.
 

The most important change, however, has been in the workforce training system.
 

Today, Korean employers are not simply waiting for trained specialists. They are participating in the training process directly in Uzbekistan.
 

The program launched in Fergana in cooperation with the Ulsan Metropolitan Government and Hyundai Heavy Industries is a clear example.
 

Here, candidates are trained by Korean specialists in the Korean language and culture, occupational safety, and specific professions in the shipbuilding sector.
 

In 2025–2026, 668 citizens were trained under the program. Of these, 554 started working at Hyundai.
 

Interest is also high.
 

This year, more than 8,000 candidates registered to participate in the EPS-TOPIK examination. Following the two-stage selection process, 1,454 candidates successfully passed the skills test.
 

Thus, the formula of 30 years of cooperation is changing:
 

language + profession + qualification + legal employment.
 

The main goal now is not simply to send more people, but to open new opportunities for competitive, highly qualified Uzbek specialists in the Korean labor market.
 

High-level dialogue provides another important opportunity to take the long-standing cooperation between Uzbekistan and South Korea to a new stage. The long-term experience in labor mobility also serves as a solid foundation for further initiatives.

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