Seoul Global Center to open in January

In accordance with the "Strategies and Plans for the Globalization of Seoul" unveiled in July, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will open the "Seoul Global Center," a one-stop administrative service center that will provide various administrative, business, and cultural support as well as living services for international residents in Seoul.

The Seoul Global Center, to be located on the 3rd floor of the Press Center near Seoul City Hall and staffed with some 30 experts, will be officially open to the public in January 15, 2008.

The Seoul Global Center will run its hotline number (1688-0120) and the website at http://global.seoul.go.kr (It will be open in January 2008.)

The Seoul Global Center will offer services regarding immigration affairs, foreign driver’s license (issued by the countries that recognize a Korean license), international marriage certificate, tax and consumer consulting, and tourism information. (Currently 127 countries recognize a Korean license. Please refer to Driver's License Agency (http://www.dla.go.kr/english/index.jsp) for more information.)

Global investors wishing to invest in Seoul will also enjoy a variety of support activities including all the information and consulting service provided fully by the Seoul Global Center and will gain more efficient and competitive edges in doing their businesses from making investment to setting up a company in Seoul.

In addition, the Seoul Global Center plans to run diverse educational and cultural programs including Korean language courses, flea markets, and hand-on Korean cultural experience. It will also actively support foreign community activities such as their own cultural events.

To this end, the Seoul Global Center welcomes volunteer workers for many global cultural activities and expects lots of international residents to join them.

Also, the Seoul Global Center will work actively to promptly solve various problems foreigners experience while living in Seoul area through the network of the Global Village Center being operated in each foreign community.

The Global Village Center operates in five foreign communities in Yeoksam-dong, Hannam-dong, Itaewon-dong, Ichon-dong, Banpo-dong, and Seorae Village. The Global Village Center in the Yeoksam-dong and Yeonnam-dong region is scheduled to open to coincide with the opening of the Seoul Global Center. The Global Village Centers in other areas are also slated to open in April 2008.

In addition, the Seoul Global Center will acknowledge cultural difference and at the same time respect cultural diversity through active communication between foreign workers and Seoul citizens by running a variety of multi-cultural programs including consulting services for foreign workers and marriage-based immigrants.

The Seoul Global Center will play a central role in carrying out the city government’s efforts for the globalization of Seoul, making all foreigners living in Seoul feel at home, providing the latest information on life in Seoul, and responding actively to various inconveniences international residents experience in everyday life.

For more detailed information, please call the Seoul Global Center at (02) 1688-0120.
Source: Seoul Metropoliltan Government