By Jhoo Dong-chan
The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) plans to build a Chinatown in Daelim-dong, a district in western Seoul inhabited by a large ethnic Korean-Chinese community, it said Sunday.
Officials at the SMG said that they have gathered public opinion on the subject by surveying experts and residents in the area over the last month.
According to the city government, there are 25,600 foreigners living in Daelim 1-, 2- and 3-dong areas, accounting for 6.2 percent of total foreign residents in the city. Of the foreigners in the Daelim area, 89.6 percent are ethnic Korean-Chinese.
Nearly 40 percent of commercial stores in Dealim Joongang Market are run by ethnic Korean-Chinese, and 40 percent of students in elementary schools there are from such families.
Exit 8 of Daelim Station, where such stores are clustered, is famous among the ethnic group living in China, a city official said.
"We plan to make the areas as a destination of culture, tourism and exchanges," the official said. "The plan includes building Chinese cultural centers, language schools and theaters, as well as supporting traditional Chinese cultural activities."
However, there is still room for debate over an official name for the area because Korean residents in Daelim-dong prefer "Chinatown" while ethnic Korean-Chinese residents want "Chinese Dongpo Town," with "dongpo" implying Korean ethnicity.
The SMG has also allocated a budget of 70 million won to support a program aimed at helping ethnic Korean-Chinese in Seoul find jobs and solve financial troubles.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) plans to build a Chinatown in Daelim-dong, a district in western Seoul inhabited by a large ethnic Korean-Chinese community, it said Sunday.
Officials at the SMG said that they have gathered public opinion on the subject by surveying experts and residents in the area over the last month.
According to the city government, there are 25,600 foreigners living in Daelim 1-, 2- and 3-dong areas, accounting for 6.2 percent of total foreign residents in the city. Of the foreigners in the Daelim area, 89.6 percent are ethnic Korean-Chinese.
Nearly 40 percent of commercial stores in Dealim Joongang Market are run by ethnic Korean-Chinese, and 40 percent of students in elementary schools there are from such families.
Exit 8 of Daelim Station, where such stores are clustered, is famous among the ethnic group living in China, a city official said.
"We plan to make the areas as a destination of culture, tourism and exchanges," the official said. "The plan includes building Chinese cultural centers, language schools and theaters, as well as supporting traditional Chinese cultural activities."
However, there is still room for debate over an official name for the area because Korean residents in Daelim-dong prefer "Chinatown" while ethnic Korean-Chinese residents want "Chinese Dongpo Town," with "dongpo" implying Korean ethnicity.
The SMG has also allocated a budget of 70 million won to support a program aimed at helping ethnic Korean-Chinese in Seoul find jobs and solve financial troubles.
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