Foreign residents form Seoul's new community volunteer corps

Seoul has recently established a new volunteer organization specifically for its international residents, marking a fresh approach to civic engagement in Korea. As the city's foreign population continues to play an active role in shaping its civic life, the Seoul Metropolitan Government recently inaugurated the Global Baro Volunteer Corps at Seoul City Hall.

The initiative, under the motto "One Heart Seoul, Global Hands," attracted around 200 participants, including Deputy Mayor for Administrative Affairs Kim Sung-bo and volunteers from various countries.

The volunteer corps comprises 314 foreigners, organized into 16 teams representing 42 nationalities. These members hail from diverse backgrounds, including Vietnam, China, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Russia, Kazakhstan, Japan, and Malaysia. The concept for this project emerged last year when foreign residents, on their own initiative, joined municipal relief teams to assist in responding to wildfires in Andong and Yeongdeok, as well as flood recovery efforts in Yesan and Gapyeong.

The government was impressed by the eagerness of these foreign volunteers and decided to formalize their contributions into a structured volunteer corps.