Research Group Meeting on Revitalizing the Local Community for Settled Foreigners
Analysis of the Status, Policy Environment, and Needs of Foreign Residents
Reviewing Future Directions Through an Interim Report
Hong Nayoung, the representative member of the research group for revitalizing foreign (multicultural) local communities, is speaking ahead of the meeting. Photo by Public Relations Planning Team, Secretariat of the Council
The Sejong City Council's research group for revitalizing the local community of settled foreigners (multicultural residents), led by Representative Hong Nayoung, held its fourth meeting on the 29th. The group focused on an interim report from a research project launched in April, diagnosing the settlement environment and policy needs of foreign residents and reviewing the future direction of the research.
The research group, headed by Hong Nayoung, the parliamentary leader of the People Power Party in Sejong City Council, is composed of six members: council members Kim Dongbin and Kim Hyeonok, Professor Kang Youngsook of Kunsan National University, Vice President Lee Mikyung of the Korea Immigration Society Professionals Association, and Director Ha Miyong of the Sejong City Family Center. Six researchers from the Daejeon Sejong Research Institute, including Dr. Choi Seongeun, who is conducting the research project, also attended.
The interim report presented at the meeting included: ▲Results of the survey on the status of settled foreigners ▲Analysis of foreigner policies by the central government and other cities and provinces ▲Diagnosis of Sejong City's policy environment ▲Case studies from Korea and abroad ▲Future research directions.
Dr. Choi Seongeun of the Daejeon Sejong Research Institute, who is conducting the research, explained, "In addition to analyzing the policy trends of the central government and other metropolitan governments and the policy environment of Sejong City, this is the first study to use the Ministry of Justice and Statistics Korea's 2024 raw data on immigrant residence and employment to identify the demographic and sociological characteristics and policy needs of settled foreigners in Sejong City."
It was especially noted that the research is significant for overcoming the limitations of existing government statistics, which were published only at the Chungcheong region level, and for establishing a policy foundation based on data that reflects local realities.
During the meeting, participants agreed that, for foreign residents to settle stably in the local community, it is urgent to establish a multidimensional support system encompassing language, psychological, and cultural integration, beyond simply supporting basic areas of daily life. By holding a total of five meetings and field visits through November this year, the group aims to develop policy alternatives that can connect the capacities of foreign residents to the integration and development of the local community.
Representative Hong Nayoung stated, "This is an important resource for objectively diagnosing the current state of policies for settled foreigners in the region," and added, "We will continue in-depth discussions and reviews to ensure that the research results can be practically applied in the field."
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