Hello, I am Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at The Korea Times. I primarily cover financial authorities and write articles on a wide range of topics related to finance and capital markets. If you have any information to share, feel free to email me at jjh@koreatimes.co.kr, and I will review it carefully. I am committed to always doing my best to communicate with readers through high-quality articles.
Labor ministry recognizes success of Sri Lankan businessman
Badal Muhandiramalage Sampath Priyadarshana, right, poses with Labor Minister Lee Jung-sik after being awarded during an event at the Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels and Residences, Wednesday. The ministry, together with the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, invited 15 foreign workers who had returned home after working in Korea under the Employment Permit System. Five of them were awarded for representing successful cases based on their work experiences here. Courtesy of Human Resources Development Service of Korea
By Jun Ji-hye
Badal Muhandiramalage Sampath Priyadarshana of Sri Lanka arrived in Korea in November 2005 on an E-9 nonprofessional employment visa to work here under the Employment Permit System (EPS).
After having worked in the manufacturing sector in Korea from 2005 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2016, he returned to Sri Lanka in 2018 and began operating his own business with his father.
His company mainly builds machines and equipment necessary for the manufacturing industry.
Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor recognized his rise to success, presenting an award to him in an event held on Wednesday during which it invited 15 foreign workers who have since returned to their home countries after working in Korea under the EPS.
“At the end of 2004, I got to know about the EPS while reading a newspaper in Sri Lanka and decided to get a job in Korea to overcome economic difficulties,” he said.
“After being employed in Korea, I tried to learn ways Koreans work and then play my part. While working in Korea, I could learn the basic principles necessary to establish and operate small- and medium-sized companies. I shared that know-how with my employees.”
He said he paid keen attention to establishing a clean and safe working environment and systemizing each work stage for his employees as he had learned during his time in Korea.
“As a result, my company, which had only seven employees at first, grew to employ more than 35 people,” he said.
The EPS is a migration labor program, under which workers from 16 Asian countries including the Philippines, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Thailand are allowed to work in Korea with E-9 nonprofessional employment visas.
The system began in 2004 to address manpower shortages being experienced by small- and medium-sized companies. So far, about 940,000 workers have entered Korea to work under this system.
The Sri Lankan man hailed the EPS as a good system that allows foreign nationals to work in Korea within the law.
Yet, he advised the Korean government to oblige migrant workers to work for at least a year at a company, as it is difficult for workers to build careers and adapt to local culture when they frequently change workplaces.
“Toward that end, the Korean government should offer more accurate information about a company before a worker signs a contract,” he said.
“I highly recommend working in Korea as it offers good opportunities and hope. Workers can also experience advanced systems and enjoy various cultures,” he added.