The Yangcheon District in southwestern Seoul will offer free verbal translation services in cooperation with the volunteer group Before Babel Brigade (BBB) Korea, beginning Tuesday.
Foreigners or Koreans can call 1588-5644 and press the designated number for the appropriate language to get connected with the interpretation volunteer. The service can be used overseas as well.
Chu Jae-yeob, the district chief, said, "I hope the district's support programs including the free interpretation service will help foreigners who try to adapt to Korean life."
Currently, 7,750 foreigners live in the district.
BBB is a voluntary group providing free translation service in 17 languages including Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Arabic.
Some 3,000 volunteers work as translators via cellular phones, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The volunteers' pool includes former diplomats, professors and people who majored in specific languages.
meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr
