Ulsan will begin a pilot operation of a comprehensive support center for migrant workers Wednesday, as the industrial city seeks to expand legal, labor and daily-living support for its growing foreign workforce, the city government said Monday.
The center will be located in Dong-gu, a district where almost half of the city’s migrant workers reside. The 390-square-meter space will be used for consultations, education programs and community activities.
It will consult workers on employment, legal issues, stay permits and daily life. The center will be open from Sunday to Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The city plans to finalize the center’s operating system and assess demand on the ground before officially opening in June or July.
After its official launch, the center plans to expand multilingual consultations and offer regular industrial safety and Korean language programs.
The Ulsan Economic Promotion Agency will oversee day-to-day operations and dispatch six employees to run the center.
The agency has hired Uzbek, Indonesian and Kyrgyz nationals as consultants. It also plans to hire Vietnamese and Sri Lankan consultants in cooperation with the Ulsan Foreign Residents Support Center.
“We will work closely with related organizations, with the center serving as a hub, to help foreign workers settle successfully and contribute to integration in the local community,” a Ulsan city official said.
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