Seoul to offer fund for expats' events

By Kim Se-jeong

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to provide financial assistance of up to 7 million won ($6,430) for cultural and donation events organized by embassies and foreign communities this year.

The city government said Wednesday that embassies and groups for foreign residents, including immigrant workers, are eligible for applications for the fund.

Applications will be open from Feb. 11-16.

“We are running this program to help expats engage in more social activities and provide Koreans with opportunities to experience different cultures,” Chung Young-jun, a city official, said. “Also, this will raise the profile of Seoul as an international city.”

Applicants are required to submit details about the event. The amount of the fund donated will vary depending on the size of the events. The city can cover up to 80 percent of the cost as long as it doesn’t exceed 7 million won.

The support program began in 2008. Last year, 14 groups received the fund totaling 68 million won.

The Irish Association of Korea, organizer of the St. Patrick’s Day festival, was one of the 14 awardees last year.

“The fund from the city government enabled us to bring in artists from abroad so we could further show the Korean audience Irish culture, music and dancing,” the association’s chairwoman Shauna Browne told The Korea Times.

The St. Patrick’s Day festival takes place on March 14th this year and is the biggest Irish cultural festival in Seoul.

Other cultural events funded by the city government in the past include the Seoul International Women’s Association’s annual bazaar and a street festival in Itaewon.

For information about the application, visit www.seoul.go.kr or www.global.seoul.go.kr.