Seongdong District opens one-stop service counter for foreign residents

Seongdong District opened a Foreign Resident Service Desk at Yongdap-dong Community Service Center in eastern Seoul on Thursday to make local administrative services more accessible to non-Korean residents. The counter offers one-stop assistance from multilingual public servants, with translated forms and generative AI tools for real-time translation and interpretation. It handles services including seal registration and changes of residence, and provides guidance on birth and marriage reporting and multicultural family welfare programs. The district said it would continue improving public services so residents can navigate them more easily.

Foreign residents in Korea reached a record 2.58 million in 2025, or 5 percent of the total population, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

Seongdong District’s registered foreign resident population rose 41 percent over five years.

Yongdap-dong’s foreign population increased 70.8 percent, from 480 to 820, and made up 7.1 percent of neighborhood residents.

The district said the increase was driven by foreign workers and international students attending nearby Hanyang University.

The desk serves registered foreign nationals, overseas Koreans and multicultural families, and is located on the community center’s first floor.

Published Oct 29, 2026 3:38 pm KST

New Yongdap-dong support window addresses surging international community

A foreign resident speaks to a public servant at Seongdong District Office in Seoul. Courtesy of Seongdong District Office

In response to a growing international population, Seongdong District in eastern Seoul said Thursday that it has established a dedicated "Foreign Resident Service Desk" at the Yongdap-dong Community Service Center to streamline administrative procedures and eliminate language barriers for non-Korean residents.

According to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics, foreign residents in Korea reached a record high of 2.58 million in 2025, accounting for 5 percent of the total population. In Seongdong District, registered foreign residents have jumped 41 percent over the past five years. Yongdap-dong has experienced an even sharper surge of 70.8 percent, with its foreign population rising from 480 to 820 to comprise 7.1 percent of the neighborhood's residents. This rapid demographic shift, driven by an influx of foreign workers and international students attending nearby Hanyang University, has created a surging demand for accessible public administration.

To address these needs, the district created a one-stop service counter staffed by experienced public servants proficient in foreign languages. Located on the first floor of the neighborhood center, the desk features bilingual signage for easy navigation. It provides core administrative services for registered foreign nationals, overseas Koreans, and multicultural families, including seal registration and changes of residence.

The novelty of this new service center lies in its tailored, one-on-one assistance model. Dedicated staff guide visitors through official forms printed in multiple languages, while generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools provide real-time translation and interpretation to eliminate communication issues. The desk also provides crucial administrative guidance on reporting births and marriages and multicultural family welfare programs to support long-term settlement.

This initiative underscores a broader trend across Seoul local governments to modernize public services for international residents.

Gangnam District in southern Seoul recently upgraded its administrative counters with AI-powered transparent OLED communication windows to deliver instant live translation in 130 languages. While Gangnam District’s high-tech screens focus on automated translation, Seongdong District’s new Yongdap-dong counter complements AI tech with dedicated, bilingual human staff to ensure personalized civil support.

"Sensitively tailored support is essential so that differences in language and culture do not create obstacles when using administrative services," Seongdong District Mayor Ryu Bo-hwa said. "We will continue to listen to diverse resident voices and improve our public administration environment so that everyone can navigate local services with ease."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

首尔城东区周四在龙达洞社区服务中心开设了外国居民服务台，旨在让非韩国居民更便捷地办理当地行政事务。该服务台配备多语种公务员，提供一站式服务，并提供翻译表格和生成式人工智能工具进行实时翻译和口译。服务内容包括印章登记、居住地变更等，并提供出生和结婚申报以及多元文化家庭福利项目的指导。城东区表示，将继续改进公共服务，使居民能够更轻松地使用各项服务。

据韩国统计厅预测，到2025年，韩国的外国居民将达到创纪录的258万人，占总人口的5%。

五年内，城东区登记在册的外国居民人口增长了 41%。

永达洞的外国人口增加了70.8%，从480人增加到820人，占该社区居民的7.1%。

该地区表示，增长的主要原因是外籍劳工和就读于附近汉阳大学的国际学生。

该服务台为已登记的外国公民、海外韩国人和多元文化家庭提供服务，位于社区中心一楼。

发布于2026年10月29日下午3:38（韩国标准时间）

永达洞新支持窗口应对激增的国际社会

一名外国居民在首尔城东区政府与一名公务员交谈。图片由城东区政府提供。

为应对不断增长的国际人口，首尔东部城东区周四表示，已在龙达洞社区服务中心设立专门的“外国居民服务台”，以简化行政程序并消除非韩国居民的语言障碍。

根据韩国统计厅的数据，到2025年，韩国的外国居民人数将达到创纪录的258万人，占总人口的5%。在城东区，登记在册的外国居民人数在过去五年中增长了41%。龙达洞的增幅更为显著，高达70.8%，外国居民人数从480人增加到820人，占该地区居民总数的7.1%。这种快速的人口结构变化，主要是由于大量外国务工人员和就读于附近汉阳大学的留学生涌入，从而导致对便捷公共服务的需求激增。

为满足这些需求，该区设立了一站式服务柜台，配备经验丰富、精通外语的公务员。柜台位于社区中心一楼，设有双语标识，方便居民使用。柜台为已登记的外国公民、海外韩裔人士和多元文化家庭提供核心行政服务，包括印章登记和居住地变更等。

这家新服务中心的创新之处在于其量身定制的一对一协助模式。专职人员指导访客填写多种语言的官方表格，同时利用生成式人工智能（AI）工具提供实时翻译和口译服务，消除沟通障碍。该服务台还提供关于出生和婚姻登记以及多元文化家庭福利项目的重要行政指导，以支持长期定居。

这一举措凸显了首尔各地方政府为国际居民提供现代化公共服务的更广泛趋势。

首尔南部江南区近期对其行政服务窗口进行了升级，安装了人工智能驱动的透明OLED通讯窗口，可提供130种语言的实时翻译服务。江南区的高科技屏幕侧重于自动翻译，而城东区龙打洞新服务窗口则在人工智能技术的基础上，配备了专业的双语工作人员，以确保为市民提供个性化的服务。

“提供贴心周到的支持至关重要，这样才能避免语言和文化差异在使用行政服务时造成障碍，”城东区区长柳宝华表示，“我们将继续倾听不同居民的声音，改善公共行政环境，让每个人都能轻松便捷地使用本地服务。”

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。