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Multicultural Families and Foreigner Support Organizations

Institutes such as the Danuri Helpline ☎1577-1366 (integrated information telephone center formulticultural families), Multicultural Family Support Centers, and Support Centers for Foreign Workersare operated using government assistance and sponsorship from private businesses. There are othersupport centers for foreigners, operated by regional or private institutes. There is also a self-governingcenter of foreign residents established in Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, where many foreigners live, thatprovides various administrative services. In addition, many institutes (such as community centers andregional cultural centers) that provide services for Koreans also have classes and programs specificallyfor multicultural families and foreigners.

01 Danuri Helpline ☎1577-1366

  • The Danuri Helpline provides information on Korean life, crisis counseling, emergency aids,interpretation, and 3-party telecommunication services for multicultural families and immigrantwomen residing in Korea.
  • Those who need counseling services can conveniently talk in their mother tongue to the professionalimmigrant women counselors who speak 13 languages*.
    • Provides counseling in Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog (Filipino), Khmer (Cambodian),Mongolian, Russian, Japanese, Thai, Lao, Uzbek, and Nepali.
  • When there is a need for protection or emergency counseling due to domestic violence or sexualviolence, the call center service can be accessed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Moreover,multicultural families are provided with various forms of assistance such as interpretation andtranslation, in case a trouble occurs or in need of information.
  • Counseling is done in cooperation with related agencies such as nationwide Multicultural FamilySupport Centers, domestic violence counseling centers, the Sexual Violence Counseling Center, theDomestic Violence Victim Protection Facility, police agencies, attorneys, Women's Group WelfareGroups, and Sunflower Centers (Crisis Intervention Centers for Women and Children) withinhospitals located nationwide.
  • All counseling sessions are confidential; the identity of the caller is not disclosed

(1) Description of Services

Description of Services : This is the table that includes classification and contents.
ClassificationContents
Regular
  • Counseling available in 13 languages
  • Callers can be directly connected to other agencies when necessary (one-call, one-stop)
Activities related to emergency assistance services and counseling on emergency and violence
  • Telephone counseling provided in native languages 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for immigrant women who are experiencing domestic violence
  • Operation of emergency refuge facilities (children included)
  • Connection with protection facilities for women suffering from domestic violence, sexual violence, and/or prostitution
  • Work in relation to medical, legal, prosecutor, and police services
  • On-site counseling services in Seoul and regional cities
Provision of information on life in Korea
  • Provides an integrated information about life in Korea for multicultural families · immigrants
  • Information on the stages of life
Interpretation and three-way communication services
  • Third-party interpretation services for immigrants and multicultural families who have difficulties communicating in the Korean language (police stations, emergency, hospitals, resident centers, educational agencies, banks)
  • Communication assistance within families

(2) How to Use

Telephone Counseling (three-way call available)
  • Operation hours: Call 1577-1366 from anywhere within the country, 24 hours a day 365 days a year
  • Language Services: Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog (Filipino), Khmer (Cambodian), Mongolian, Russian, Japanese, Thai, Lao, Uzbek and Nepali languages
Online Counseling
  • Homepage : www.liveinkorea.kr
  • How to Use: Quick Menu → Online Counseling
  • Language Services: Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog (Filipino), Khmer (Cambodian), Mongolian, Russian, Japanese, Thai, Lao, Uzbek and Nepali languages
Visit Counseling & Interview Counseling
  • Visit counseling: Counselors from Danuri Helpline visit those who need counseling services
  • Interview counseling: Counseling provided at Danuri Helpline
  • How to use: Schedule your date with counselors to make a reservation
Emergency Shelter
  • Operating hours: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
  • How to use : Visit the center to get counseling services in Seoul, Suwon (Gyeonggi), Daejeon, Gwangju, Busan, Gumi(Gyeongbuk), and Jeonju (Jeonbuk)
Emergency Shelter : This is the table that includes Nationwide Contact Information, Representative Helpline and Regional Contact.
Nationwide Contact InformationRepresentative HelplineRegional Contact
Seoul☎1577-13661577-1366
Suwon, Gyeonggi031-257-1841
Daejeon042-488-2979
Gwangju062-366-1366
Busan051-508-1366
Gumi, Gyeongbuk054-457-1366
Jeonju, Jeonbuk063-237-1366
  • Six regional counseling centers and emergency shelters other than Seoul (open 24 hours 365 days) are open 365 days (including weekends and holidays). Calls that fall outside these hours are transferred to Seoul, and applicants are sent to the nearest shelter for immigrant women.

02 Multicultural Family Support Centers

Multicultural Family Support Centers are organizations that provide seminar (on family, gender equality,human rights, etc.), Korean language education, visiting education, counseling services, informationservices and translation and interpretation services for married immigrants, in addition to services tosupport the language skills development of the children of married immigrants, in order to promotebetter family relations in multicultural families and help multicultural families adapt to Korean society.As of 2020, there are 228 Multicultural Family Support Centers in Korea.

(1) Program Contents

Program Contents
FieldType
Required ProgramsElective Programs (Example)
Family
  • Program to promote a bilingual environment for multicultural families
  • Information on school admission for multicultural families with school-age children
  • Family communication program
  • Family relations improvement program
  • Understanding marriage and the family
  • Meanings and roles of family members
  • Education for fathers
  • Program to improve parent-child relationships and build confidence
  • Programs for education of children
  • Education on roles of parents and healthcare of children
  • Education on life of children
  • Support for Children’s development, etc.
Gender Equality, Human Rights
  • Education on gender equality in family
  • Education for understanding multiculturalism
  • Education to improve awareness of human rights
  • Programs for parents of Korean spouses (All Together Program), etc.
  • Response to violence and education on prevention
  • Program for immigrant women
  • Visiting violence prevention education
  • Laws and institutions applicable to multicultural families
  • Immigrants and human rights, etc.
Social Integration
  • Basic education for job seekers
  • Link to Saeil Center
  • Cooperation for occupational training courses for married immigrant women at Saeil Center
-
  • Education for multicultural family volunteer groups
  • Multicultural family volunteer activities
  • Education to help immigrants adapt to Korean society
  • Education for consumers and education on money management
  • Disaster and Safety Education
  • Operation of and linkage with learning support classes
  • Self-support communities of multicultural families
  • Improvement of multicultural awareness
  • Mentoring programs for marriage immigrants
  • Support package for each stage of settlement for married immigrants, etc.
Counseling
  • Family counseling
  • Counseling for individuals
  • Group counseling
  • Case management
  • Emergency support for families in crisis
  • Linkage with external counseling organizations, etc

The specialized programs for multicultural families operated by the Multicultural Family Support Center are as follows.

The table of the specialized programs for multicultural families
TypeServices
Korean language education for special purposesSeven courses of customized practical Korean Program, reflecting the local demand (study guide for children, preparation for employment, local cultural activities, TOPIK reading/listening/writing for immigrant children)
Visiting education services
  • Visiting Korean language education: Visiting education provided for marriage immigrants within the first 5 years of stay in Korea and immigrant children
  • Visiting parenting education service: provides education and information on parenting by life cycle (pregnancy·birth·infancy/babyhood/childhood)
  • Services for life of children: provides reading coaching, homework guidance, speech and presentation guidance, education for development of self-consciousness and emotion, strengthening of cultural competence, training for basic life habits, guidance on health and safety, career guidance, etc. for immigrant children between 3 and 12 years of age
Case management supportCustomized services for psychological and emotional security, strengthening self-reliance competence, etc. for solution of various problems of multicultural families including domestic violence, divorce, etc
Interpretation·Translation ServicesInterpretation and translation services to help communication in family and social life of marriage immigrants with poor Korean
Support for language development of children from multicultural familiesEvaluates language development status of children from multicultural families, provides language education for children with communication problems, and trains parents with education strategy
Creation of bilingual environmentCreates an environment for children from multicultural families to communicate in tow languages from early childhood (parent coaching for dual language, parent-child interaction program, dual language utilization program, family coaching)

(2) How to Use

Support centers for multicultural families are operated by region. Call Danuri Helpline ☎1577-1366, for the number of the support center nearest you. Support centers are typically open from 09:00 to 18:00. (Refer to References in Chapter 10)

  • Multicultural Family Support Center
    • www.liveinkorea.kr
    • Download APP
      • Android phones: Google Play > Enter Danuri > Download
      • iPhone: AppStore >Enter Danuri > Download

03 Rainbow Youth Center of the Migrant Youth Foundation

The Rainbow Youth Center of the Migrant Youth Foundation is a specialized organization thatsupports youth from multicultural backgrounds (North Korean defectors, children of marriedimmigrants, and children of multicultural families) in accordance with Article 18 of the JuvenileWelfare Support Act. As a non-profit organization, the center works on settlement of migrant youthin Korea, and enhancement of their learning ability and self-reliance. (“Youth from multiculturalbackgrounds” refers to youth with different migrating experiences which more than one of whoseparent is from a country other than Korea or were born in Korea but raised in another country.)

(1) Contents of Support

Rainbow Youth Center of the Migrant Youth Foundation
ItemsContents
Educational support program for youth with multicultural backgrounds Rainbow school
  • Operation via 20 organizations in 17 regions as of 2021 (consignment operation)
  • Support for Korean language education, special skills development, social and cultural experiences for youth with multicultural backgrounds
  • Operation of full-day programs and hourly programs (after-school, weekend, and night programs)
    • The contents of the program may differ by commissioned operation agency
Program for career development
• Rainbow Job!
• Catch Tomorrow
  • Operation via five organizations in Seoul, Gyeonggi, etc. as of 2021
  • Rainbow Job: immigrant youth requiring career development support
  • Catch Tomorrow: Career education including vocational practice and basic quality education offered for immigrant youth wishing to advance into society (courses for the acquisition of vocational certificates and career education)
Introductory social program for North Korean refugee adolescents
• Comparative cultural experience
• First step into the future
  • Community settlement support through basic livelihood and cultural experience programs for Korean refugee adolescents
  • Various kinds of educational support (sex, human rights, career, health) needed for Korean refugee adolescents to aid in the local community’s settlement
Counseling & local community-related programs
Customized information
☎ 02-722-2585
  • Support for psychological counseling in various forms such as face-to-face counseling, contactless counseling, cybercounseling, and group counseling
  • Support for bilingual counseling and customized counseling by considering the characteristics of youth with multicultural backgrounds
  • Construction of local network and stable counseling environment such as visiting counseling to base areas and dispatch of case managers
Fostering of Counseling Interpreters
  • Fostering of counseling interpreters who help in communication between youth counselees and counselors during psychological counseling and therapy
  • Counseling interpretation support in three languages such as Chinese, Vietnamese, and Russian (Seoul and metropolitan areas)
Indices of psychosocial adaptation of youth with multicultural backgrounds
  • Development and distribution of psychosocial adaptation indices by considering the cultural characteristics of youths with multicultural backgrounds (applicable: youth from Chinese, Vietnamese, and Russian language cultures)
Fostering of human resources to support youth with multicultural backgrounds
  • Education contents: Educational courses for workers of agency related to youth with multicultural backgrounds; educational courses to strengthen the multicultural capability of future youth leaders; and courses to strengthen the multicultural capability of youth instructors
  • Education subjects: Workers of agency related to youth with multicultural backgrounds; youth instructors; future youth instructors
  • Operation Method: Face-to-face or contactless education
Improvement of the youth’s multicultural sensibility Program “Dagagam”
  • Education contents: Core capability of multicultural sensibility such as various kinds of awareness, sympathy, communication, cooperation, anti-prejudice, anti-discrimination, and global citizenship (12th composition)
  • Education subjects: Upper-grade elementary school students and all middle school students
  • Operation Method: Offering of visiting education by dispatching Dagagam-specializing operation instructors

(2) How to Use

  • The Rainbow Youth Center of the Migrant Youth Foundation operates various programs for youths with multicultural backgrounds between the ages of 9 and 24 in cooperation with local organizations.
  • Program use & application
    ☎ 02-733-7587 ∥ Telephone inquiry or walk-in/online application
  • Customized information services
    ☎ 02-722-2585 ∥ Counseling time weekdays 09:00 ~ 18:00
    Phone or online counseling ∥ Homepage-Participation Courtyard-Online counseling
  • Visit to the foundation
    ☎ 02-7826-1562 ∥ Operate every 3rd Wednesday of the month
    Phone or online counseling∥ Homepage-Participation Courtyard-Visit to the foundation

04 Support Center for Foreign Workers

(1) Overview of Programs

Support Center for Foreign Workers
DivisionContent
Counseling
  • Delays in salary payment
  • Change (transfer) of employer
  • Immigration and residence
  • Industrial accidents
  • Healthcare and welfare
  • Fraud, assault, etc.
  • Difficulties with daily life
Education
  • Korean language education
  • ICT education
  • Special education: law, safety and adaptation to Korean society
Events
  • Community events
  • Educational events
  • Cultural events
Healthcare
  • Basic healthcare services for migrant workers who have difficulties visiting small clinics due to language problems

(2) How to Use

The Center is open from 09:00 to 18:00 during weekdays (☎1644-0644), and some educational programs are operated on Sundays.

05 Counseling Center for Foreign Workers

Overview
  • The Counseling Center for Foreign Workers operates a support center for foreign workers with a call center as the main function that foreign workers and their employers can use to quickly resolve their difficulties.
Status
Status of counseling center for foreign workers
NameCounseling Center for Foreign Workers (☎1577-0071)
AddressGyeonggi-do Ansan-si Danwon-gu Gojan 2-gil 16 Emerald Building Fl. 3
Operation HoursOpen all year round (09:00-18:00)
  • When you reserve online counseling outside of the normal hours of operation, you will receive a call back right after the start of operating hours the following day.
Languages Supported17 languages including: Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, English, Thai, Indonesian, Sinhalese, Mongolian, Uzbek, Khmer (Cambodia), Bengali, Urdu (Pakistan), Nepalese, Burmese, Kyrgyzstani, and East Timorese
Counseling AreasIn addition to helping resolve personal problems, the center provides information on living in Korea and information on resolving workplace disputes to foreign workers and their employees.

06 Immigration Office

The Immigration Office (please refer to the appendix for details on the Immigration Office) overseesthe following administrative affairs related to a foreigner's status in Korea: immigration inspection ondomestic and foreign travelers, certificate of visa issuance, alien registration, stay permissions (extensionof stay, change of status, etc.), violation inspections, nationality changes, refugee status, etc.

07 Websites with Multi-Language Support

Since Korea has an advanced ICT network, foreign immigrants are able to obtain information on lifein Korea through a variety of websites, and can take advantage of cyber education programs such asKorean language programs and Korean culture education. Websites operated by organizations aimedat foreign residents are particularly useful, as they support multiple languages.

Websites with Multi-Language Support
Website AddressOperating InstitutionService Provided
Public Operation
Danuri (Multicultural Family Support Portal)www.liveinkorea.krKorean Institute for Healthy FamilyInformation on life in Korea, educationinformation, center information,counseling room, reference room,multicultural news, webzine, etc.Counseling and interpretation services inmultiple languages for immigrant womenwho are victims of domestic violence,sexual violence, prostitution, etc.
HiKorea (e-Government portal for foreigners)www.hikorea.go.krMinistry of JusticeProvides on-line civil affairs services,immigration, employment, job-seeking,investigation guide, amenities, counselingservices, civil affairs documents
Multicultural Ggureomiwww.kidsnfm.go.krNational Folk MuseumIntroduces cultures of different countries
East to Find, Practical Lawwww.easylaw.go.kr/CSMMinistry of Government LegislationProvides practical law informationnecessary for living in Korea toforeigners such as marriage immigration,visa·passport, Industrial AccidentInsurance, foreign workers, driver’slicense, moving, house rentals, moneytransactions, etc. in 12 different languages
korea.netwww.korea.netKorean Culture and Information ServiceProvides Korean news and information on economy, history, culture, and tourism
Government 24www.gov.krMinistry of Public Administration and SecurityOnline issuance of various certificates provided by the Korean Government and comprehensive information on government services for foreign workers, marriage immigrants, and international students
VisitKoreawww.visitkorea.or.krKorea Tourism OrganizationInformation on travel, festivals, restaurants, and accommodations in Korea
Durianwww.ebsd.co.krEBSProvides Korean education programs to learn Korean language and culture and sEBS multicultural programs
Nuri King Sejong Institutewww.sejonghakdang.orgKing Sejong Institute FoundationOnline learning programs for Korean language and culture
National Health Insurance Servicewww.nhis.or.krNational Health Insurance ServiceIntroduces and provides information on the health insurance system and benefits
KBS World Radioworld.kbs.co.krKBSNews in multi-languages, programs on current issues, culture, and entertainment, etc.
Seoul Hanultariwww.mcfamily.or.krSeoul-sProvides information on multiculturalfamilies support, community, Koreanlanguage education, jobs, occupationaltraining, and public transportation
Seoul Global Centerglobal.seoul.go.krCivil affairs center for foreigners in Seoul,life support for foreigners, driver’s license,and tax information consultancy
Ansan Multicultural Support Headquartersglobal.iansan.netAnsan-si, Gyeonggi-doIntroduces Ansan Community ServiceCenter for Foreigners and providesinformation on multicultural familysupport programs, webzine in 8 languages,Korean language education, interpretation,counseling support, medical and legalinformation, etc.
Chungnam Dawoolimwww.dawoolim.netChungcheongnam-doProvides information on living in Koreaand life in Chungcheongnam-do (centernews, guide to living in Korea, introductionof different cultures, everyday Korean)
National Pension Servicewww.nps.or.krNational Pension ServiceProvides information related to nationalpension such as application and report fornational pension, how to pay insurancefees, etc
Private Operation
Migrants’ Network TVwww.mntv.netMigrants’ Network TV MNTVNews in different languages, everyday Korean
Multicultural Family e-learning Campaignecamp.cuk.eduThe Cyber University of KoreaEducation on Korean language, Korean culture, and the culture of the spouse

08 Mobile Applications with Multi-Language Support

Mobile Applications with Multi-Language Support
Mobile NameOperating InstitutionContentsService Provided
DanuriKorean Institute for Healthy FamilyGuidebook for Living in Korea, information onmulticultural family support center nationwide, andemergency contact numbersAndroid, IOS
共 ZONEKorea Immigration Service of the Ministry of JusticeProvides communication magazinepublished by the Korea Immigration Service of theMinistry of JusticeAndroid, IOS
East to Find, Practical LawMinistry of Government LegislationProvides practical law information necessary for livingin Korea to foreigners such as marriage immigration,visa/passport, Industrial Accident Insurance, foreignworkers, driver’s license, moving, house rentals, moneytransactions, etc. in 12 different languagesm.easylaw.go.kr/MOM
My SeoulSeoul-siInformation on administration, job, Korean education,multilingual chatting, international calls, domestic calls,salary calculation, Dasan Call Center for foreigners andmulticultural familiesAndroid, IOS
Multicultural Happiness SketchBusan Metropolitan CityKorea living information, Korean language educationinformation, job information, counseling information,program introduction and schedule, information onBusan's multicultural support center/global centerAndroid, IOS
KBS World RadioKBSProvides text and video clips related to Korea, including news, current affairs, entertainment, etc. in 11 languagesAndroid, IOS
Emergency Ready APPMinistry of Public Administration and SecurityDisaster safety information service for foreigners residing in KoreaAndroid, IOS
본 저작물은 '한국건강가정진흥원'에서 '2020년' 작성하여 공공누리 제4유형으로 개방한 '한국생활가이드북'을 이용하였으며, 해당 저작물은 '한국건강가정진흥원, www.kihf.or.kr' 에서 무료로 다운받으실 수 있습니다.
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