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Side Quests In series
Small opportunities, events and tips for international residents in Korea
#expat life
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Side Quests In series
Small opportunities, events and tips for international residents in Korea
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Dance like a K-pop trainee
Seoul residents can join a free K-pop dance class at the Seoul Foreign Resident Center in Yeongdeungpo-gu. The class is open to adult Korean and foreign residents living in Seoul. It will run from July 2 to Aug. 13, with 13 sessions held every Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon. Participants should bring clean-soled sneakers and a water bottle. The class will be conducted in Korean. Applications are accepted by phone inquiry, followed by an in-person visit to the center. Applicants should
June 22, 2026 - 10:55:36
Level up your Korean small talk
Foreign residents and international students in Seoul can sign up for a free Korean conversation class at Yeonnam Global Village Center. The 10-week program will run from July 6 to Sept. 12. Classes will be held in person at the center’s classroom. The program offers beginner, intermediate and advanced classes. Intermediate and advanced classes meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while the beginner class meets on Saturdays. Applications are open online through July 3. Selected applicants will receiv
June 22, 2026 - 10:54:31
BHC chicken cooking class open to foreigners
Cook your own batch of BHC’s iconic sweet and salty Purinkle chicken. Seoul Gangdong Foreign Resident Center is inviting 25 people to join a cooking class with BHC, one of Korea’s most popular chicken franchises with more than 2,000 stores nationwide. Foreign residents of all ages who are interested in cooking Korean chicken are eligible to apply. Both children and adults can join. The class will be conducted in Korean, so participants are expected to understand the instructor’s directions. In t
June 17, 2026 - 13:48:17
Registration for free summer concert opens in Seoul
A mini summer concert is coming to Seoul for a dazzling summer night. “Dear Summer, Seoul” invites people to make unforgettable memories with friends, family and loved ones. The concert will be held July 3 at Assa Art Hall, near Magongnaru Station on Line No. 9. Registration is open to everyone who wants to enjoy performances ranging from NANTA to K-pop, hip-hop and rock. Tickets are free, but registration is required. Up to two tickets are available per registration, and seats will be offered o
June 17, 2026 - 13:35:52
Is Korean office life really like K-dramas?
Have you ever wondered whether Korean workplaces are really like those shown in Korean TV dramas? Seoul Global Center is holding a free live webinar on Saturday to share the realities of Korean office culture. The Zoom lecture will walk participants through the complex positions and titles used in Korean companies, the formal and casual language native speakers use at work and the realities behind overtime and company dinners in Korea. Participants will also learn how to give a one-minute self-i
June 17, 2026 - 11:26:21
Labor Ministry seeks foreign human rights leaders
The Ministry of Employment and Labor is recruiting “Foreign Resident Human Rights Leaders” to help prevent basic human rights violations in workplaces and build a standing system to better protect foreign workers. Foreign residents with a strong understanding of living and working in Korea will be selected as human rights leaders. They will help identify possible human rights violations, provide guidance on remedy procedures and support foreign workers in seeking help. The human rights leaders w
June 15, 2026 - 17:34:37
Free history camp opens for overseas Korean students
Young overseas Koreans living in Korea can apply for a five-day camp designed to help them learn more about Korean history and culture while adjusting to life in the country. Hosted by the Overseas Koreans Agency, the History and Culture Camp for Young Overseas Koreans Staying in Korea will take place from July 21 to 25 in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon. The program is open to middle school, high school and university students of overseas Korean background who are currently living and stud
June 12, 2026 - 11:12:21
Catch Roy Kim and John Park under Namsan night sky
A summer night at Namsan Park will come with live music this month, as singers Roy Kim and John Park are set to perform at the Namsan Summer Festival. The one-day festival, hosted at Namsan Park on June 27, will feature walking, garden and nighttime performance programs across the park. The Summer Night program, set for 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Baekbeom Plaza, will offer an outdoor concert against the backdrop of Namsan’s summer evening scenery. Admission is free, with advance reservations required.
June 11, 2026 - 10:36:51
Become a Seoul traffic safety ambassadors
Many foreign national residents say Seoul’s public transportation is clean, safe and easy to use. Now, Seoul wants them to help spread that message. Seoul Global Center is looking for 10 supporters to promote traffic safety online. Foreign residents selected for the program will share their own experiences using public transportation in Korea during the four-month activity period. Supporters will create short-form videos on traffic safety and upload social media content every month. They will al
June 10, 2026 - 11:07:58
Seoul opens career workshop for foreign residents
Finding a job in Korea can present many hurdles, from writing a resume to adjusting to the Korean workplace culture. Seoul Gangdong Foreign Resident Center is opening introductory job preparation classes in July for foreign residents seeking employment in Korea. The four-session program will cover resume and cover letter writing, interview preparation, Korean workplace culture and hands-on experience in a real-life work environment. Foreign residents from all districts in Seoul are eligible to a
June 10, 2026 - 11:04:11
A little bit of Paris is coming to Seoul this weekend
Seorae Village, home to Seoul’s largest French community, will host its annual Korea-France music festival featuring performances, food stalls and cultural activities. Held near the Seoul Public Procurement Service building, the festival brings together residents, French expatriates and visitors for an evening celebrating the long-standing ties between the two communities. The event will feature local school choirs, taekwondo demonstrations, traditional Korean dance groups, students from the Fre
June 9, 2026 - 12:38:41
Sunday baking classes open for children from migrant backgrounds
Yangcheon Foreign Resident Center is running Sunday baking classes for children with migrant backgrounds at the Yangcheon Multicultural Family Center. Over four sessions, students will bake sausage bread, s’more cookies, banana bread and gugelhupf. Children who live in Yangcheon-gu will be given priority, but those from other districts may also apply. The program is open to elementary school students, with priority given to fifth- and sixth-graders. Applicants who can attend all four sessions wi
June 8, 2026 - 14:04:57
A chance to experience Korean Dano traditions
Are you familiar with "Dano?" If not, this is your chance. The Seoul Foreign Resident Center is inviting 20 foreign residents to the Agricultural Museum in Jung-gu on June 19 to experience Korea’s seasonal Dano traditions. The program will introduce participants to Dano and its customs through traditional games and a hands-on activity making changpo, or sweet flag, soap. In Korean tradition, people washed their hair and faces with changpo water during Dano, believing it would help keep them heal
June 8, 2026 - 14:04:49
English-language book club, a chance to learn about Korea through literature
There are many ways to learn about a country. Some people watch films. Others visit museums. Some Seoul residents are turning to literature. This month, the Seorae Book Club is inviting readers to explore “The Girl Who Wrote Loneliness” by acclaimed Korean novelist Shin Kyung-sook, best known internationally for “Please Look After Mom.” The novel follows a teenage factory worker who leaves her rural hometown for Seoul during the country’s rapid industrialization in the 1970s, capturing the hopes
June 8, 2026 - 11:40:31
Foreign residents invited to discover Korea’s traditional sounds
Many visitors to Korea first encounter Korean culture through K-pop, K-drama or palace tours. This month, Seoul offers foreign residents a chance to experience a side of Korea rooted in the country’s musical traditions. The Seoul Foreign Resident Center is recruiting 25 foreign residents for a group visit to the National Gugak Center’s “Saturday Masterpiece” performance, a long-running showcase of traditional Korean performing arts. The program features a mix of royal court music, folk music, tr
June 8, 2026 - 11:28:31
