Chungcheongnam-do Province announced on May 27 that it is accelerating the establishment of a foundation for the influx of international talent and the stable settlement of foreigners in the region, as it actively pursues future-oriented immigration policies.
The province established and has been operating the Chungcheongnam-do Foreigner Global Center (hereinafter referred to as the Center) since March. The Center serves as the control tower for the province's foreigner policies, as it is a dedicated organization that comprehensively and systematically establishes and executes foreigner-related policies.
According to the foreigner resident statistics released by the Ministry of Interior and Safety (as of November 1, 2023), the number of foreign residents in the province is 155,589, recording the highest proportion of foreign population nationwide, and it is on the rise every year.
The province established the Center to preemptively respond to such demographic changes and to promote the stable settlement and social integration of foreigners in the region.
The Center is promoting various support programs that cover the entire cycle from attracting foreign talent to their settlement.
Firstly, to attract excellent foreign talent, the Center holds overseas recruitment briefings and supports customized talent recruitment and visa conversion tailored to the needs of companies and universities in the province.
It also operates Korean language education, living and cultural education, and cultural experience programs to help foreigners adapt early, and it is also working to build communication networks for exchanges between Koreans and foreigners.
A "Foreigner Supporters" group, composed of foreigners, is also operated to promote the province's foreigner policies from a foreigner's perspective, collect opinions, and provide various opportunities for participation, such as policy proposals.
The Center also concurrently implements programs for the economic self-sufficiency and employment linkage of foreign students.
Through the Chungnam-type work-study parallel system, the Center supports part-time employment and field training for foreign students. It also plans to operate technical education programs based on the demands of companies in the province and provide visa conversion counseling and consulting for foreigners who wish to find employment and settle down.
The province plans to continue to strengthen cooperation with businesses, universities, and related organizations to diversify its strategies for attracting foreigners, and to continuously promote policy development and support programs for the social integration of Koreans and foreigners.
The Center is located at the Asan Branch of the Chungnam Economic Promotion Agency (223 Eunhaengnamugil, Asan-si). For detailed inquiries about various support programs, you can contact the representative phone number (041-404-1477) during operating hours, weekdays from 9 AM to 6 PM.
A provincial official stated, "Through the Chungnam Foreigner Global Center, we expect to actively attract foreigners and support their stable settlement in the region, thereby preemptively responding to the population decline caused by low birth rates and an aging society, and injecting vitality into the local economy." They added, "We will continue to do our best to diversify strategies for attracting foreigners and promote policies for social integration."
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