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Seoul asks expats to make town meeting suggestions

Oct. 17, 2011 - 20:54 By
Seoul city government is asking foreigners in the capital to voice their complaints and make suggestions for improving the city, officials said Monday.

Foreign residents in Seoul can post complaints and suggestions about life in Seoul on the Seoul Global Center website (global.seoul.go.kr) from Oct. 17-25, according to officials. The center is a Seoul city agency which helps foreign residents adapt to life in the city.

Proposed ideas will be presented and discussed at the 11th Seoul Town Meeting in December. About 100 foreigners, the mayor, officials and experts will attend the meeting on proposals related to transportation, education, medical services, culture and travel.

This year’s guests will include foreign spouses of Korean men, foreign workers and immigrants.

“Some ideas of the past were minor, such as citizenship and manners improvement of, while others have been reflected in policies and projects. They actually improved the life of foreign residents,” said Yoo Jong-heon, an official at Seoul Global Center.

For instance, foreigners can now reserve plays and movies online. In the past, they were barred from membership of related websites, a condition for booking tickets.

Also, they can now apply for a check card usable in Seoul and abroad. More international schools are also expected to open in the city.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)