Hwaseong City Supports Early Settlement Program for Foreign Residents

Hwaseong City provides social settlement services and educational programs to support the stable life settlement of married immigrants, multicultural family children, and foreign residents.

According to the city, as of the end of 2010, the registered number of foreign residents in the city includes 20,920 foreign workers, 1,456 married immigrants, 521 students, and 1,025 others, along with 705 naturalized citizens through marriage and 1,420 children from immigrant families, totaling 26,294 registered foreign residents.

This figure represents 5% of the registered population, making Hwaseong City home to the third-largest number of foreign residents among 31 municipalities and cities in Gyeonggi Province.

The city is investing 2.383 billion won to help foreign residents settle and adapt early, offering Korean language classes at 15 locations and job-training programs including automotive repair, welding, driver's license, and PC maintenance, while also planning to hold job fairs.

Additionally, the city plans to operate mobile counseling centers (expanding by one location annually) and shelters through 2014.

During the fifth popularly-elected administration term, the city is investing 3.36 billion won to support married immigrants and multicultural family children through interpreter and translator training programs (30 people), expanded access to multicultural experience centers (8,640 people), and children's educational expenses (205 people).

The city operates a multicultural family volunteer corps (40 families) and mentoring programs (50 families), while providing integrated healthcare services including oral health and dementia prevention.