Seoul city government is offering free Korean and computer lessons in the nation’s biggest Central Asian town in Gwanghui-dong, Jung-gu, where foreigners from Russia, Mongolia and Uzbekistan have gathered and formed their own community since 1990.

The classes take place at the Gwanghui-dong residents’ center for local foreign residents, investors, workers and migrants twice a week from Sept. 20 to Dec. 2 to help them settle into Korean society.

“We are offering the classes that teach necessary skills such as language and basic computer programs to foreign residents to make their daily lives and employment here in Korea more convenient,” said Kang Seon-sub, director of Seoul Global Center.

The Korean classes will focus on everyday conversation and preparation for the Test of Proficiency in Korean and the computer classes will cover related basic skills and word processing programs.

“It was very hard for me to go somewhere far to learn something because of my baby, but now I can take the morning computer class (in my town),” said Anastasia, a migrant from Uzbekistan married to a Korean man. “I will do my best to get a computer certificate and get a job.”

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