From a "City People Come to Work In"
to a "City Where People Live Together"
Building a Settlement Community
Gumi-si in Gyeongbuk has made significant improvements to the living conditions of foreign workers, officially launching efforts to transform itself from a "city of labor" into a "city of coexistence."
On June 21, the city announced that 30 local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) had applied for and were all selected in the "2025 Foreign Worker Dormitory Environment Improvement Pilot Project," a competitive program organized by Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.
This represents 75% of all selected companies in Gyeongbuk (40 in total). Out of the total project budget of 2 billion won, Gumi secured 1.5 billion won (500 million won from the province and 500 million won from the city), achieving the largest scale of support in the province.
The purpose of this project is to improve the quality of life for foreign workers by upgrading their living environments, to encourage long-term employment, and to help resolve labor shortages and enhance settlement stability in the region.
Eligible recipients are SMEs where foreign workers make up at least 20% of the workforce. Each dormitory can receive up to 50 million won in support (25 million won in subsidies and 25 million won in matching funds).
The main areas of support include: ▲ renovation of outdated dormitories, ▲ reinforcement of hygiene and safety facilities, and ▲ expansion of amenities, with a strong focus on practical improvements to the daily living conditions of foreign workers.
Notably, the project also includes facilities that are used as actual living spaces regardless of their legal designation, making it a leading policy model for addressing blind spots outside the formal institutional framework.
Going forward, Gumi-si plans to regularize the application process to increase transparency and to revise the system so that any SME meeting the eligibility criteria can participate in the project.
A city official stated, "Improving dormitories goes beyond simple facility repairs; it is the starting point for guaranteeing the basic human rights of foreign workers and fostering an inclusive local community. As the living conditions of workers improve, turnover rates will naturally decrease and long-term employment will rise, creating a win-win situation for both companies and the region."
If this project succeeds in strengthening the settlement base for foreign workers, it is expected to have a positive impact on Gumi-si's ongoing policies to build multicultural communities and expand migrant participation.
Kim Jangho, Mayor of Gumi, stressed, "We need to shift our perspective to view foreign workers not just as labor, but as members of the local community. This project, guided by the philosophy that 'a happy living environment is corporate competitiveness,' will serve as a turning point for Gumi to move from being a 'city people come to work in' to a 'city where people live together.'"
Meanwhile, Gumi-si will continue its administrative efforts to promote the rights and interests of foreign residents and strengthen multicultural inclusion, taking the lead in building an inclusive local community model where diverse cultures coexist in harmony.
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