Inauguration Ceremony and Training held on August 17
Special support for the foreign locals and visitors!

Gyeonggi’s official ‘Foreign Friends Helpers’ to give convenience in foreigner’s local life and tourism are having a kick off ceremony.

On August 17, 157 helpers selected from the city officials had an inauguration ceremony and started the training course as Foreign Friends Helpers at the Small and Medium Enterprise Support Center with the vice governor Jung, Changsub.
– Training Course (3 hrs): Laws of immigration & citizenship and foreign labor employment, international etiquette (Gyeonggi’s Tourism Organization assisted in giving lectures as one of the training courses.)

Foreign Friends Helpers that is the part of the ‘Roadmap for the environmental development for foreign settlers’, has recently been established to support local foreign residents, which have been growing larger and larger in number every year. Helpers selected will be positioned to give aid in the various civil affairs of the local foreigners such as living, tourism, stays, and etc.

Provincial officials who are confident in foreign languages submitted their application forms and then a few selected via screening process went through the telephone interview for the final language test, filtering out 157 final helpers. Those of who selected will be providing support and services to the foreigners in their extra time. Helper will be granted with the certificate of foreign supporter, prepaid mobile phone card, layby points for various uses and other various incentives. Also for the best helpers, overseas study tour opportunity will be provided.

According to the manager Oh, Hooseok from the Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee, 160,000 persons of foreigners residing in Gyeonggi(32% of the whole country) are highly contributing to local economy with their expertise in new technologies and by working in the small and medium enterprises and now they have taken a great position in this community. We have a high expectation on those helpers selected who will be the leader to raise international image of Gyeonggi by listening to the complaints of foreign residents and visitors and finding out solutions to such complaints.

Gyeonggi understands that the residential places provided to foreign locals play a big role in building a great international image of a nation and strengthening its competitiveness, therefore, will continue its support plan to bring a better Korean life for foreigners.