Seoul increases support for multicultural families

The Seoul Metropolitan Government yesterday announced plans to support multicultural families, which will be implemented in the latter half of this year.

The plans, with a budget of 3.5 billion won ($2.87 million), include providing education for men who intend to marry a non-Korean, assistance for raising newborns, Korean language education, and free psychiatric counseling and treatment.

"The plans are designed to respond to the needs of multicultural families so that marriage-based immigrants can live in the local community, not as foreigners, but as mainstream members," said Cho Eun-hee, a senior city official in charge of woman and family affairs.



Recognizing various problems, such as an increased divorce rate, that have arisen due to lack of preparation and understanding of inter-racial marriages, the city plans to offer a 20-hour educational program to men who intend to marry a non-Korean.

The city will offer 1 million won to each bridegroom who has completed the program to help finance their wedding.

The city also plans to offer high-level Korean language courses to help foreign wives find employment or pursue higher education. In association with the Woman Resources Development Center, the city also plans to offer job-related counseling and training to foreign wives.

To assist foreign wives who have given birth to a child while adjusting to their new life in Korea, the city plans to recruit 15 people who will help them recover after the delivery and to assist with caring for the newborns.

The city also plans to offer financial assistance to foreign wives to enable them to hire child care for their children while they are at work. Enpyeong Hospital in northern Seoul will offer free psychological treatment and counseling on Fridays.

The city will form a group of 50 married immigrants who will monitor city policies for multicultural families and make new policy proposals.

As of May 2008, the number of married immigrants in Seoul is at 36,532, about 25 percent of the total of 144,385.

(sshluck@heraldm.com)





By Song Sang-ho