By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Seoul City will offer free office space for expatriates seeking to start a business here as part of a bundle of policies designed to make the capital more convenient and friendlier to international residents.
As of 2009, 256,000 international residents live in Seoul, accounting for some 2.5 percent of the total population, an increase of 100,000 from 2006. Migrant workers account for 57 percent, followed by 12 percent for immigrant spouses, 11 percent for students, 4 percent for business people and 16 percent for other professions.
The Seoul Global Center (SGC), the one-stop service center for foreigners, will move into the Global Cluster Building in Jongno, which is to be completed by June 2012. The building will accommodate foreign Chambers of Commerce and other related associations.
The city will make a greater effort to support foreigners who want to start a business in Seoul, officials said.
The center provides business start-up courses for expatriates and consulting services, including licensing and ways to deal with legal issues.
At the same time, the Seoul Global Business Support Center will open May 14 in the COEX to offer free office space for expatriate entrepreneurs. SGC is accepting applications for the use of office space until May 2. For more information, visit global.seoul.go.kr.
Another business support center will be established at the Seoul International Finance Center in Yeouido next year.
Seoul City will offer 26 kinds of civic application forms in four foreign languages ― English, Chinese, Japanese and French ― next month and local tax bills will also be printed in English from the second half of the year. A ticket reservation system for foreigners is available at www.visitseoul.net.
The city will also open more centers for multicultural families and migrant workers to help them adjust to life here.
"To attract more foreign investment, Seoul needs to be a better city for expatriates to live in," said Choi Hang-do, head of Seoul City's Urban Competitiveness Headquarters. "These foreigner-friendly policies will be tailored to the expatriates' type of stay and we will do our best to provide a more satisfying environment for all citizens in Seoul."
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