Gwangju City Holds "Foreign Resident Council" with Representatives from 12 Countries

Reflecting the Voices of Foreign Residents in Policy-Making

Gwangju City held the "Foreign Resident Council" on the 26th at the Gwangju Foreign Resident Support Center, attended by foreign residents from 12 countries. Photo by Gwangju City

Gwangju City announced on the 27th that it held the "Foreign Resident Council" on the 26th at the Gwangju Foreign Resident Support Center, gathering opinions on foreign resident support policies from foreign residents representing 12 countries.

The Foreign Resident Council is composed of 20 foreign residents from 12 countries, including foreign workers, international students, marriage migrants, overseas Koreans, and representatives of national communities.

At the council meeting, Gwangju City introduced various support programs for foreign residents, including the medical expense support program for undocumented migrant children, the mobile Korean language class for industrial complexes, and the selection of the citywide visa pilot project. The city also presented the foreigner-only financial center, which opened at the Gwangju Foreign Resident Support Center in February.

In addition, the council shared plans for the upcoming "18th World Day Celebration" to be held on May 24, and collected opinions on various foreign resident policies. So far, based on feedback from the Foreign Resident Council, the city has implemented projects such as training medical interpretation activists and designating foreign resident-friendly hospitals, and has added new languages to the "Gwangju Life Guide" in the foreign language information booklet.

Joo Sanghyeon, head of the Foreign Resident Division, stated, "Listening to the opinions of foreign residents is extremely helpful in policy-making," adding, "We will continue to meet with diverse people in the field and communicate as we develop policies."