The Hon. Vijitha Herath - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, in response to the question raised by the Hon. Leader of the Opposition on 2025.12.19 under Standing Order 27(2):

¶ 02 1. Under bilateral agreements, foreign job opportunities for Sri Lankans are provided by Israel and the Republic of Korea.

¶ 03 For 2025, Korea has indicated a ceiling of 6,800 jobs in the manufacturing sector; other sectoral quotas are not specified. Authorized sectors for Sri Lankan workers are: i. Manufacturing ii. Fisheries iii. Construction iv. Shipbuilding v. Services

¶ 04 Departures to Korea via SLBFE registration were as follows: 2020: 1,791 total (Govt MoUs 500; Agencies/Private 1,291) 2021: 2,536 total (1,108; 1,428) 2022: 16,038 total (6,639; 9,399) 2023: 16,157 total (6,412; 9,745) 2024: 12,683 total (5,562; 7,121) Up to 31.12.2025: 10,202 total (3,712; 6,490)

¶ 05 Post-COVID, departures peaked in 2022 and then relatively declined, due to: i. Political, economic, and policy changes in Korea. ii. Variations in Korea’s political and economic stability. iii. Number of Sri Lankan overstayers in Korea. iv. Negative perceptions due to frequent job-hopping by Sri Lankan workers.

¶ 06 Recruitment is under the 2004 MoU with Korea. Per the EPS process, a selected candidate’s name remains on the web list for a maximum of two years; listing does not guarantee a job. Extensions beyond two years are not permitted under current Korean policy. We have discussed extensions, but have not yet secured agreement.

¶ 07 We continue diplomatic efforts. We held multiple discussions with the Director of the Korea Human Resources Development Institute (HRD Korea) in Sri Lanka, highlighting reduced 2025 quotas and very low allocations in the services sector. We sought to channel qualified services candidates into manufacturing, and HRD Korea agreed in principle to provide some relief. We will also forward applicants’ requests accordingly.

¶ 08 In shipbuilding, 32 contracts are available for 2025, while 1,391 candidates are currently listed. As shipbuilding prospects are low, we will move eligible profiles to manufacturing in the coming month.

¶ 09 As of 01.01.2026, the HRD Korea web-listed Sri Lankan candidates total 10,122: • Manufacturing: 5,820 • Construction: 50 • Fisheries: 343 • Services: 2,518 • Shipbuilding: 1,391

¶ 10 We will continue engagements with HRD Korea representatives in Sri Lanka and plan a high-level Sri Lankan diplomatic mission to Korea in the first quarter to negotiate increased quotas.

¶ 11 We will also conduct year-round job promotion programs in Korea, with our Embassy, targeting factories that recruit many Sri Lankans, to showcase worker skills.

¶ 12 Beyond Korea and Israel, we are working to renew arrangements with Italy. Through our Embassy in Rome, we are engaging organizations willing to recruit Sri Lankans and will continue these efforts.