By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Liu Yan, 35, the head of Yeonnam Global Village Center, the first community center to serve foreigners in Korea, knows the hardship of adjusting to life in Korea.
Liu is from Tianjin, China but became a naturalized Korean citizen in 1998 after marrying her husband, who is Korean.
``I felt great inconveniences when I first came to Korea. I now want to help other people who go through the difficulties I did,'' Liu told The Korea Times in an interview at Yeonnam Global Village Center.
Yeonnam Global Village Center helps all foreigners, but is particularly geared to cater for Chinese speakers.
The global center provides a wealth of information for daily life in Korea, gives information on employment and introduces Chinese-speaking facilities. The center also works as a civil affairs office, issuing 319 kinds of civil affair documents either in Korean or English. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The center plans to provide education programs, too. ``We will start a Korean language course for the Chinese and a Chinese course for Koreans in March. The classes will be held twice a week and about 15 students can enroll,'' said Liu.
A cultural exchange program will be launched soon as well.
``There are about 4,500 Chinese living in Mapo-gu. The (Seoul) city plans to form a China Town in this area in the second half of the year. This will enhance cultural exchange between the two countries,'' Liu said. ``Hansung Middle and High School for Chinese, which is situated near the center, will devise programs in close connection with the center as well.''
In addition to Liu, there are two other public service workers and a volunteer at the center. All speak both Korean and Chinese.
The city government operates another global center in Yeoksam-dong and will open more centers in Hannam-dong, Itaewon-dong, Ichon-dong and Seorae Village.
``Yeonnam Global Village Center has just opened and we will provide more information and plan more programs to assist Chinese living in Korea continuously,'' Liu said with a smile.
For more information about the center, call (02) 6406-8151. It is located near Hongik Univ. Station on subway Line 2.