Administrative Services Needed by Foreign Residents, All Available at 'Government24'

Ministry of the Interior and Safety Provides 100 Integrated Services for Long-Term Foreign Residents

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 20th that it will integrate major services for foreigners, which were previously provided separately by different agencies, into the government’s representative portal 'Government24'.

As of the end of 2018, the number of foreign residents in Korea, including long-term residents, naturalized citizens, and children born to foreigners, exceeded 2.05 million. However, due to language barriers and cultural differences, their access to and utilization of services have been relatively low. Additionally, various institutions such as central administrative agencies and local governments have been providing services for foreigners separately according to their respective fields, making it difficult for foreign residents to know which services are offered by which agency.

To resolve these inconveniences, the government has opened a dedicated portal site for foreign residents within Government24, where essential civil services and information on support benefits by sector can be found in one place, and it has started providing these services in Korean, English, and Chinese.

The common services provided on Government24 include issuance of certificates necessary for domestic stay such as visas, extensions of stay, and factual certificates, introduction to social integration programs for acquiring Korean nationality, free Korean language education institutions, and information on embassies in Korea. More than 20 services frequently used by foreigners, such as foreigner registration certificates, nationality acquisition certificates, and immigration certificates, can be applied for and issued entirely through Government24 without visiting agencies.

Customized services according to the purpose of stay, such as employment, marriage, and study abroad, are categorized by target groups such as foreign workers, marriage immigrants, and international students, making them easy to find.

For foreign workers, information on employment-related systems such as the Employment Permit System and part-time employment, employment and stay support, repatriation support services, and foreign workforce counseling centers are provided. For marriage immigrants, services related to international marriage, family relationship registration, pregnancy, childbirth, child support, housing, welfare, multicultural family support, and victim counseling support institutions are introduced. For international students, procedures and preparations for studying in Korea, exchange student programs, national scholarships, and other student support services are provided.

Lee Jae-young, Director of Government Innovation Organization at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "Government innovation means eliminating service blind spots so that no one misses out on services due to not knowing what services exist or where to use them, thereby realizing inclusive administration. We will improve the service delivery system so that foreign residents do not experience inconvenience in Korean life and ensure that no groups are excluded from receiving benefits."

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