Chungnam Province Accelerates Efforts to Attract International Talent and Support Foreigners’ Settlement

Operation of the Foreigners Global Center
Support for Korean Language Education and Part-Time Employment

Chungnam Provincial Government Building. / Provided by Chungnam Province

Chungnam Province announced on May 27 that it is accelerating efforts to establish a foundation for attracting international talent and ensuring the stable settlement of foreigners in the region.

In March, the province established and began operating the 'Chungnam Foreigners Global Center.' This center serves as a dedicated organization that comprehensively and systematically formulates and implements policies related to foreigners, acting as the control tower for the province’s foreigner policy sector.

According to statistics on foreign residents released by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (as of November 1, 2023), the number of foreign residents in the province stands at 155,589, ranking first nationwide in terms of the proportion of foreign residents, and this number continues to increase each year.

The province established the center to proactively respond to these demographic changes and to promote the stable settlement and social integration of foreigners in the region.

The center hosts overseas recruitment briefings to attract outstanding foreign talent and supports customized recruitment and visa conversion tailored to the needs of local companies and universities.

To help foreigners adapt quickly, the center offers Korean language education, daily life and cultural education, and cultural experience programs. It is also working to build communication networks to facilitate exchanges between locals and foreigners.

The center also operates a 'Foreigner Supporters' group, composed of foreigners, to promote the province’s foreigner policies from the perspective of foreigners, gather feedback, propose policies, and provide various opportunities for participation.

Projects to support the economic independence and employment linkage of international students are also being carried out in parallel.

Through the Chungnam-style Work-Study Dual System, the province supports part-time employment and on-site training for international students. It operates technical education programs based on the needs of local companies and plans to provide visa conversion counseling and consulting for foreigners who wish to find employment and settle in the region.

A provincial official stated, "Through the Chungnam Foreigners Global Center, we expect to actively attract foreigners and support their stable settlement in the region, thereby proactively addressing the problem of population decline caused by low birth rates and aging, and revitalizing the local economy. We will continue to do our utmost to diversify foreigner attraction strategies and promote policies for social integration."