Seongdong District opens one-stop service counter for foreign residents

Seongdong District in eastern Seoul has introduced a new Foreign Resident Service Desk at the Yongdap-dong Community Service Center to simplify administrative procedures for non-Korean residents. This move comes as the district's foreign population has surged, rising 41 percent over the past five years. The Yongdap-dong area, in particular, has seen an even more dramatic increase of 70.8 percent, with foreign residents growing from 480 to 820, making up 7.1 percent of the neighborhood's total population.

The surge is largely attributed to foreign workers and international students attending nearby Hanyang University.

The establishment of the one-stop service counter aims to tackle the growing demand for accessible public administration services. Staffed by experienced public servants fluent in English and other languages, the desk will help eliminate language barriers and streamline processes for foreign residents. With the total number of foreign residents in Korea reaching a record high of 2.58 million in 2025, accounting for 5 percent of the population, this new service is expected to greatly benefit the rapidly growing international community in Seongdong District.