Seoul City Supports Shuttle Service for Chinese International Students' Arrival... Park Won-soon "We Must Overcome Hate" (Comprehensive)

Forming a Joint Response Team with Districts and Universities
About 17,000 Chinese International Students Expected to Arrive
Efforts to Support Temporary Housing Facilities
Park: "COVID-19 Will End Someday, but Hate Remains"

On the 21st, at the Seoul City Hall Planning Situation Room, participants including Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, and Mayor Park Won-soon attended the Ministry of Education-Seoul City countermeasure meeting to protect and support Chinese international students entering the country. They are saluting the national flag while wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] With about 17,000 Chinese international students attending universities in Seoul expected to enter the country, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is forming a joint response team with 25 autonomous districts and 49 universities to support international students arriving from China. The response team will carry out measures from airport arrival to temporary housing support and health monitoring.

On the 21st, Seoul held a meeting on support measures for Chinese international students related to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Attendees included Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye, nine district heads from areas with high concentrations of international students, and nine presidents of major universities with over 1,000 international students.

In his opening remarks, Mayor Park said, "Among the more than 70,000 Chinese international students nationwide, about 38,000 attend universities in Seoul, which is more than half of the total. With approximately 17,000 expected to enter the country soon, Seoul feels a heavy responsibility along with the Ministry of Education." He added, "We plan to form a joint response team to closely monitor the status of international students and support their entry, responding promptly to all situations."

The Ministry of Education agreed to share information entered by international students arriving from China into a 'self-diagnosis application (app)' with Seoul and universities. Mayor Park stated, "This will greatly help local governments and universities, which have faced difficulties in tracking information related to international students, to monitor and respond to situations more swiftly."

From the entry stage, the city will cooperate with universities to operate shuttle buses from the airport to the schools. Each university will operate school buses or call vans, and if self-management is difficult, the autonomous districts will provide support, with the city covering shuttle operation costs.

Eun-Hye Yoo, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, is wearing a mask after finishing her remarks at the Ministry of Education-Seoul Metropolitan Government countermeasure meeting to protect and support Chinese international students held on the 21st at the Planning Situation Room of Seoul City Hall. Photo by Ho-Nam Moon munonam@

Regarding housing support, the Seoul Human Resources Development Institute will be prioritized, and universities will be encouraged to accommodate Chinese international students primarily in dormitories and unused university facilities for dedicated management. The city plans to secure additional temporary housing spaces for support.

For international students living outside dormitories, university monitoring personnel will call them directly at least twice a day to check their health status one-on-one. If monitoring personnel are insufficient within universities, autonomous districts and Seoul will provide budgets to secure additional staff.

Furthermore, to alleviate vague hostility or suspicion toward Chinese international students, the city plans to actively inform residents through meetings with autonomous district residents' committees, Korean-Chinese community organizations, and university student councils that Chinese international students are allowed entry only after special entry procedures and if asymptomatic. Additionally, focused disinfection will be conducted in universities, temporary housing, and areas densely populated with universities.

Mayor Park emphasized, "Vague hostility and suspicion are viruses of hatred that we must overcome as much as the COVID-19 virus itself. While the coronavirus will eventually end, hatred remains." He added, "We will do our best to resolve these issues through close communication not only with local residents but also with Chinese international students."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.