25% of expats live in Seoul
Nearly 25 percent of 1.67 million foreign residents in South Korea (427,618) are living in Seoul ― a 50 percent increase from 2009.
By Park Si-soo
Nearly 25 percent of 1.67 million foreign residents in South Korea (427,618) are living in Seoul, data shows ― a 50 percent increase from 2009, according to Seoul City.
Yeongdeungpo-gu has the biggest expat population of 59,561, followed by Guro-gu (54,541), Geumcheon-gu (33,107), Gwanak-gu (29,698), Gwangjin-gu (22,230), Yongsan-gu (20,697) and Dongdaemun (20,002).
The three districts with the least foreign population were Dobong-gu (3,143), Gangbuk-gu (5,423) and Nowon-gu (5,479).
As the expat population continues to increase in Seoul, the city and the central government have drawn up policies top boost their quality of life and make full use of their abilities in the national interest.
As part of this, Seoul City and the Ministry of Justice will forge a partnership on Monday, under which the two will explore ways to lure talented foreign entrepreneurs, scholars and students, streamline immigration and visa processes, among other issues.
The two organizations will co-host a policy meeting twice a year to deal with six key agendas. The first meeting will be held in March to discuss establishing an independent government body specializing in immigration and expat issues.
Under the government structure now, the Korea Immigration Service (KIS) handles these issues. But KIS's status under the Ministry of Justice still leaves it with many administrative limits in terms of policy making and implementation.