Foreign residents in Seoul point to labor issues as their biggest challenge, the city government said Friday.

Of 3,536 foreigners here who sought an on-site counseling service in the first half of this year, 60.1 percent asked for help with their labor problems, including with salaries, overdue wages and insurance, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Apart from running the Seoul Global Center to provide foreigners here with comprehensive support, the municipal government offers on-site consulting services for those who have difficulties in visiting the center.

Since 2009 when the door-to-door program was introduced, consultants specializing in diverse fields such as labor, employment, legal issues and taxes visit foreign communities on weekends to solve their problems.

Some 30 percent of the applicants for the service over the past six months sought help with their health and welfare problems, including with medical services and industrial accidents, the city said, adding the remaining 10 percent had consultations on immigration and tourism issues.

"The service aims to provide foreign residents here with customized services so as to help them live in desirable environments," said Kim Myung-joo, a city official in charge of supporting foreign residents. (Yonhap)