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| Mapo-gu Office Head Yoo Dong-gyun, second from left, patrols around the Hondae area with foreigners recently picked for volunteer patrol company program in the town, last Friday. Courtesy of Mapo-gu Office |
By Kim Jae-heun
Amid a rising number of foreign residents, tourists and multiracial families here, Mapo-gu Office in western Seoul has launched a patrol unit comprised of foreigners, to offer help to foreign residents and tourists in the areas around Hongik University Station.
The district office said, Monday, that it held a welcome ceremony for the unit, Friday, consisting of 20 volunteers including foreign residents from Nigeria and China.
The move follows an influx of more and more foreigners in the district.
According to the population and housing census in 2017, the number of multiracial family members living in Mapo-gu was 5,585. Also, the Hongdae area is one of the most popular tourist destinations visited by many foreigners and local residents, together with Yeonnam-dong next door which has gained popularity recently.
The unit members will patrol twice a week for four hours. The patrol course will include Yeonnam-dong and the area near the university, known colloquially as Hongdae. Their main jobs are to provide translation to tourists and listen to their complaints as well as solve conflicts among foreign residents.
"I have been living in Korea for 10 years now and I received a lot of help from the community and people around. I decided to join the patrol group to give help to the town even if it is a small thing," a Chinese patrolman surnamed Wang was quoted as saying by the district office at the welcome ceremony.
A Chinese woman surnamed Jin said she is happy to volunteer. "As a foreign resident in Seoul, I am happy to contribute to the local community. I will work to bring peace and harmony to the foreign residents here," Jin said.
Any foreign resident in Seoul can apply to volunteer with the patrol unit by calling or visiting Yeonnam Global Village Center. Mapo residents will have priority in selection.
"We hope to integrate our society by providing foreigners a chance to participate in patrolling in the town and offering help to visitors," Mapo-gu Office Head Yoo Dong-gyun said in a press release.
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