Jeonbuk Province "Listening to the Voices of Foreign Residents"

'Foreign Resident Provincial Government Monitoring Team' Launched
Composed of Workers and International Students from 8 Countries Including China

Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province captures the voices of foreign residents composed of workers and international students.

On the 1st, Jeonbuk Province announced that it appointed 25 members to the '1st Foreign Resident Provincial Government Monitoring Group' to support the stable settlement and social integration of foreign residents, and will begin full-scale activities.

This monitoring group was established to support the settlement and social integration of foreign residents amid the increase in foreign inflow due to population decline in the province. It is composed of a diverse group of workers, international students, and marriage immigrants from eight nationalities including China, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. As of 2022, the number of registered foreigners in the province was 65,119.

Jeonbuk Province held an inauguration ceremony for the "Foreign Resident Provincial Administration Monitoring Team" on the 1st to listen to the difficulties faced by foreign residents. Photo by Jeonbuk Province

Over the next year, they will serve as a communication channel to collect and convey various opinions to the province regarding difficulties faced by foreign residents living in Jeonbuk and the support needed for their settlement. Monitoring group meetings will be held on weekends considering the schedules of foreigners who work or study on weekdays.

The main proposals presented by the monitoring group on this day include stable job support for foreign residents, preparation of integration programs for foreigners and locals, and development of a foreign resident settlement support application. The province plans to actively prepare support measures for foreign residents based on these proposals.

They visited the Jeonbuk Foreign Worker Support Center, which opened in April this year, to hear about the center’s main projects. The center provides settlement guidebooks and welcome kits, Korean language and job training, expert counseling, and more. They also experienced free oriental medicine treatment linked with the Korean Public Health Oriental Medicine Association.

One participant of the resident monitoring group expressed, "We are grateful that Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province is implementing various policies for us foreign residents and listening to our voices as residents of the province."

Na Haesu, Director of the External International Communication Bureau, stated, "Foreign residents, who are increasing amid rapid demographic changes, are valuable residents of Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province. Through the Foreign Resident Provincial Government Monitoring Group, we will actively discover and support the needs of foreign residents in the local community."