Exploring the Spring Flowers of Korea

On March 19, we travelled to explore Gwangyang Maehwa Festival and Gurye Sansuyu Festival. It was our first time to try a one-day tour package through a domestic travel agency. Though we did not have enough time to see many flowers due to the heavy traffic last weekend, we could enjoy the festival comfortably at a very reasonable price.

 

 We took train from Sindorim station in Seoul at 6:00 AM and reached Gwangyang located in Jeollanam-do province around 12:00 PM. We had only two hours to look around Gwangyang Maehwa (plum) Festival, but we decided to have fun while seeing many flowers. We strongly recommend that you should taste plum ice-cream and plum tea if you visit maehwa (plum) Village: the specialty of this place.

 

                                      

 We experienced the wonderful scenery with a bird's eye view from the observatory. The flowers in full bloom as if whole world turned white.

 

   

  
We finished the Gwangyang tour and travelled for about 50 minutes by bus and reached Gurye Sansuyu Festival. The festival was held under the theme of "eternal love and thereafter“, and we could embrace the marvelous beauty of yellow sansuyu flowers.

 

    

 One of the best parts of this travel was meeting a friend from the Philippines who came to see this festival on the recommendation of her friend. “It has been a difficult journey to climb up to the observatory but it was worth doing because I could take many pictures and have a new experience", she said with a glowing smile.

 This kind of Tour packages of spring festivals are available on social commerce websites and the information furnished below can be used if you are interested.

 

*Ticket Monster: https://goo.gl/EE1uE4

*Coupang: https://goo.gl/GuukVx

*G9 : https://goo.gl/42cEqX

*We Make Price: https://goo.gl/DNc91S

 

Written By: Vanessa(SGC Correspondent, Indonesian)

Translated By: Sanjay Kumar (SGC Correspondent, English)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Second Term Korean Language Classes Registration Announcement

▶ Duration of the Semester

- Regular Course : 5.20.(Sat) ~ 8.10.(Thu) / 12 weeks

- TOPIK Preparation Course : 5.20.(Sat) ~ 7.13.(Thu) / 8 weeks

* Please refer below for specific class schedule

▶ Registration Schedule (first-come, first served; drop off only)

Course	Contents	Date	Place
Regular Course	Placement Test and Registration	Weekend class : 5. 13.(Sat) 10:00~13:00	4th and 5th floor, Seoul Global Center
		Weekday class : 5. 14.(Sun) 10:00~13:00
TOPIK Preparation Course	Placement Test and Application	5. 13.(Sat) 15:00~16:30	4th and 5th floor, Seoul Global Center

○ How to apply : Visit and get a queue number → Take the placement Test → Fill out and submit the application form

○ Eligibility

- Regular course : Foreigner residents

- TOPIK preparation Course : Applicants of 53rd TOPIK (2017.7.16)

*C-3(short term/Tourist visa) holders or Minors are not eligible to apply

○ Class Size

- Regular Course : 17 persons per class ( 13 persons in daily conversation class)

- TOPIK Preparation Course : 17 persons per class

○ Required documents

- Application Form

- ID Card (Passport or Alien Registration Card or Korean Registration Card)

- Consent form for personal information collection and use

- A copy of TOPIK score obtained in the last two years

(only those who have)

▶ Class Schedule

- Classes will be decided based on results of the placement test

Course	Classification	Name of the Class	Time
General Course	Weekends	1A-1	Sat 10:00~11:30
			Sun 10:00~11:30
		1A-2	Sat 12:00~13:30
			Sun 12:00~13:30
		1B-1	Sat 14:00~15:30
		1B-2	Sun10:00~11:30
		2A-1	Sun12:00~13:30
		2A-2	Sun 14:00~15:30
		Daily Conversation Class	Sat 14:00~15:30
	Weekdays	1A	Mon, Wed 10:00~11:30
			Tue, Thu 12:00~13:30
		1B	Mon, Wed 10:00~11:30
			Tue, Thu 12:00~13:30
		2A	Mon, Wed 12:00~13:30
			Tue, Thu 10:00~11:30
		2B	Mon, Wed 19:00~20:30
		3A	Tue, Thu 19:00~20:30
		3B	Mon, Wed 12:00~13:30
			Tue, Thu10:00~11:30
		Daily Conversation Class	Mon 14:00~15:30
TOPIK Preparation Course	Weekends	Beginner	Sat, Sun 14:00~15:30
		Intermediate	Sat, Sun 16:00~17:30
		Advanced	Sat, Sun 16:00~17:30
	Weekdays	Beginner	Tue, Thu 14:00~15:30
		Intermediate	Tue, Thu 14:00~15:30
		Advanced	Tue, Thu 19:00~20:30

▶ Queries

- Person in charge : Seoul Global Center Daily Living Consultation Team (☎02-2075-4180)

- Working hours : Mon~ Fri, 09~18시 (Lunch hours 12~13 PM)

- Email : sgcwekc@gmail.com

On Site Counseling of Seoul Global Center

To help foreign residents, onsite counseling was held from 12 :00 PM~16:00 PM at the Catholic Youth Center Hyehwa-dong on March 12, 2017. A large number of Filipinos reside in Hyehwa-dong’s vicinity and due to this many Filipinos came for the counseling. The counseling was provided in diverse areas including daily living information, labor issues, immigration, national pension service and finance.

              

                                    

Most of the clients seemed satisfied with the counseling services as they could get suggestions and solutions of the diverse problems that they face in Korea. Immigration and National Pension Service (NPS) related counseling was very popular among them. In case of the NPS counseling, currently accumulated amount of NPS along with procedures and requirement of documents to apply for refund could be known on site. Meanwhile immigration counseling provided various information related to visa type, extension, job seeking, permission, and change in sojourn etc.

One of the clients from Philippine said, “This counseling service is very useful compared to general counseling as it directly interacts with the foreigners facing difficulties”.

The upcoming onsite counseling is to be held from 12:00 PM ~16:00 PM at Daerim Station on March 26, 2017.

Source: SGC Correpsondent/Sanjay Kumar

Seoul Trade Academy for Foreigners

The Seoul City is running 『Seoul Trade Academy for Foreigners』 a training program for foreigners designed to enhance their economic self- reliance as a trade expert and develop overseas market for exporters in Korea. Interested foreigners are welcomed to participate in this course.

* When they complete their course, the required 10 points for Trade (D-9-1) will be offered.

 

- International Trade Visa D-9-1 - International Trade Visa is offered by the Ministry of Justice depending on your past experience in trade, expertise in the field of trade (work experience or major related area, certificate of specialized course in trade), experience as a foreign student in Korea etc.s. If you get 60 points or more including the mandatory 10 points, trade visa can be obtained after opening a trade business even without any past experience in trade.

 

□ Details

○ Eligibility : foreign residents interested in starting-up a business including foreign students, marriage migrants and naturalized citizens)

※ Korean Language ability of TOPIK Level 4 or equivalent ia prerequisite.

 

○ Contents of the Course : understanding of immigration rules and regulations / concepts of Trade / Flow of Import and Export and trade related laws and

taxation / Trade Agreements / Transportation and Customs / business and bill payments etc.

 

 

○ Period : May (30 hours in total, 8 days)

○ Place : Seoul Global Center (Jongro) / Gangnam Global Business Center / Dongdaemun Global Center

○ Medium of the Course: Korean

○ Course Fee : Free

※ Specific details can be accessed at (http://global.seoul.go.kr/). please refer to notice.

 

□ Application

○ How to Apply : through email or drop off

○ Period of Application: Starting from April, 2017 ( Specific details can be accessed at (http://global.seoul.go.kr/). please refer to notice.

○ Required documents

- [Compulsory] Application form and consent form for personal information collection and use.

- [Compulsory] A copy of Alien Registration Card (front and back) ※ Naturalized Citizens: A copy of Resident Card, Certificate of Naturalization (Basic Certificates etc.)

- [Optional] A copy of TOPIK score or Equivalent Certificate ※ Applicants who do not have TOPIK score or equivalent certificate will take a simple test for Korean language ability.

□ Completion Benefits

○ Completion Certificate will be issued (Standard for Completion: Attendance of 80% (more than

24 hours)

○ Required 10 points in expertize in trade will be given for trade visa (D-9-1) offered by the Ministry of Justice.

○ Opportunities to receive supports such as 1:1 consulting, networking with distributor associations and supporting industries etc.

 

□ Queries

○Telephone : 02-6001-7241～2 (Gangnam Global Business Center)

○Email: academy@sba.seoul.kr

 

 SGC Correspondent/Sanjay Kumar

 

 

 

International Trade Visa (D-9-1) Seminar

 

 

International Trade Visa is offered by the Ministry of Justice depending on your past experience in trade, expertise in the field of trade (work experience or major related area, certificate of specialized course in trade), experience as a foreign student in Korea etc.s. If you get 60 points or more including the mandatory 10 points, trade visa can be obtained after opening a trade business even without any past experience in trade.

 

To gratify the curiosity related to the issuance of International Trade Visa, Seoul Global Center Business Team organizes a seminar. Foreigners interested in opening trade or a business are welcomed to participate in this seminar.

 

Date : to be announced later

Place : yet to be announced

 

◈ Queries

 

Seoul Global Center Business Team / 02-2075-4113 / Sixth floor, Seoul Global Center, Jong-ro, Jongro-gu 38.

'Application 2017 for Moving into Sarangbang of Seoul Global Center for Foreign Community’

  

Application for moving into Sarangbang of Seoul Global Center is open for foreign communities in Seoul. This support is provided by Seoul Global Center under Multiculturalism Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Government for helping foreign communities in Korea interact with one another and encouraging them in their work.

March 3rd, 2017

 

1. Outline

□ Successful Applicants : 5 different foreign communities

○ Foreign communities in Seoul which are running their organization or are going to start it shortly with the aim of achieving multicultural society, developing foreign residents' abilities, encouraging their society involvement, improving quality of their lives and encouraging community activities.

□ Support : 1 Sarangbang of 21.6㎡ in size (common space)

□ Conditions and Management

○ A report on community operating performance should be submitted after the expiry.

○ Availabilities : Office furniture and equipment including phones, internet and meeting rooms

○ Termination : in case of using the space for other uses, when frequency of usage is low, in case of breaking any rules, etc.

○ Note : The room structure or equipment arrangement should not be changed without permission.

□ Period of Contract : 4. 1. 2017 ∼ 12. 31. 2017

 

2. Application Period and Venue

□ Application Period : Mon. 3. 6. ∼ 18:00, Fri. 3. 17.

□ Venue : Daily Living Consultation Team, 5th Floor, Seoul Global Center Building

○ 5th Floor, Seoul Global Center Building, Jong-개 38, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Exit 6, Jonggak Station)

□ Contact : Daily Living Consultation Team, Seoul Global Center (02-2075-4132)

□ How to Apply : Drop off

※ Please fill out a form uploaded on our website(http://global.seoul.go.kr).

□ Required Documents

○ Application Form for Moving (Form 1)

○ Status Quo of Community (Attachment 1)

○ CV of Community Organizer (Attachment 2, representative or person in charge)

○ Major Performances (Attachment 3, not required for all applicants)

○ Operational Plan for 2017 (Attachment 4, not required for all applicants)

○ Non-profit Private Organization Registration Certificate or Business Registration Certificate and a copy of Articles of Association (not required for all applicants)

※ Notes for application

① An application must be made in the prescribed forms.

② Documents submitted will not be returned.

③ Please apply early enough to avoid congestion.

 

3. Result Announcement : Should be notified both individually and on the website

□ Documents Screening Result : 17:00, Tue. 3. 21, 2017

□ Interview : 14:00, Thu. 3. 23, 2017

□ Interview Result : 17:00, Fri. 3. 24, 2017

 

4. Orientation

□ Date : 15:00, Fri. 3. 29, 2017. (scheduled)

□ Venue : Meeting Room, 5th Floor, Seoul Global Center

 

http://global.seoul.go.kr/user.do

 

서울글로벌센터의 찾아가는 이동상담

2017년 3월 12일 오후12시부터 16시까지 외국인주민을 위한 이동상담이 혜화동 카톨릭청소년회관 앞에서 열렸다. 혜화동은 특성상 필리핀이주민들이 많이 모여산다. 그래서 대부분 필리핀이주민들이 찾아와 상담을 받았다. 상담은 생활, 노무, 출입국, 법률, 국민연금, 금융분야로 나누어 진행되었다.

             

한국생활에서 겪는 어려움, 피해, 궁금증을 전문상담원과 관련분야 직원분들이 직접 조언과 해결방법을 제시해주기 때문에 이용자들은 높은 만족을 보였다. 그 중 제일 인기가 많았던 상담분야는 국민연금과 출입국이었다. 국민연금상담에서는 외국인등록증 조회를 통해 현재까지 측정된 국민연금의 금액을 미리 확인이 가능하며, 받기 위한 방법과 필요한 서류를 알 수 있다. 출입국상담은 비자 종류, 연장, 구직, 자격외 허가, 체류지변경신고 등에 대한 정확한 정보를 얻을 수 있다.

 상담을 받은 한 외국인은 “이동 상담 서비스는 평소 상담받기 어려운 사람들에게 큰 도움이 되어 매우 좋은 사업이다."라고하였다.

다음 찾아가는 이동상담은 3월26일 12시에서 16시까지 대림역 내에서 열릴 계획이다.

서울통신원 영어담당 산저이 기사