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Seoul's Jung District creates Foreign Resident Support Team

Published: 15 Jun. 2025, 14:11 Updated: 16 Jun. 2025, 16:14

Children from multicultural families take part in a forest experience program organized by the Jung District Office in central Seoul. [JUNG DISTRICT OFFICE]

In a city where foreigners often navigate local bureaucracy on their own, Seoul’s Jung District is flipping the script — becoming the first among the capital’s 25 boroughs to launch a dedicated government team focused entirely on foreign residents.

Jung District Office in central Seoul has created a Foreign Resident Support Team to provide more structured and comprehensive services for the growing number of foreign residents living in the city center.

The new team, launched earlier this year, aims to consolidate the district’s previously scattered support programs — once run independently by various departments and neighborhood offices — into a more unified system. In March, the district also unveiled its first comprehensive foreign resident support plan and recently amended a local ordinance to expand services and encourage civic participation by foreign nationals.

“Foreign residents are also valuable members of our community,” said Kim Gil-sung, mayor of Jung District. “We will do everything we can to help them settle in as full-fledged residents of Jung-gu, in harmony with their Korean neighbors.”

Though it receives less public attention than other neighborhoods, Jung District has the highest proportion of foreign residents among Seoul’s autonomous districts. As of May, 8.2 percent of its residents — 10,695 out of a total population of 129,031 — were foreign nationals.

Some neighborhoods show even more striking figures. In Sindang-dong, known for its tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) street, 16.6 percent of residents are foreign. In Gwanghui-dong, home to the well-known Mongolia Town and Central Asia Street, that number is 13 percent.

Jung District’s appeal lies in its proximity to central Seoul and its abundance of jobs. The concentration of immigrants has led to the formation of ethnic enclaves, according to district officials, with neighborhoods like Sindang and Gwanghui becoming informal hubs for specific nationalities.

To meet the needs of this growing demographic, Jung District has developed multilingual resources, including a life information booklet in English, Chinese, Vietnamese and Russian, available at local community centers. It also operates Korean language classes for foreign residents and holds cultural events that offer physical activities and play dates for multicultural families with children.

International students from Dongguk University participate in an environmental campaign organized by the Jung District Office in central Seoul. [JUNG DISTRICT OFFICE]

Additional support includes public health programs targeting issues like metabolic syndrome and services connecting residents to job opportunities.

The district also plans to introduce integrated workshops covering topics such as tax systems, public safety and cooking, with both Korean and non-Korean residents participating together — an effort to foster organic, multicultural community ties.

In a recent example of such outreach, Jung District organized an environmental campaign for international students at Dongguk University and a forest experience program for children from multicultural families, reflecting its ongoing commitment to inclusion.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE SOO-KI [[email protected]]