Invest in Seoul - Seoul is already investing in you !

---201106 UPDATE--- join the Seoul Global Business Support Center online ---
---201112 UPDATE--- the Yeouido Global Business Support Center opens

Seoul city means business and wants everybody to feel at home, to be part of its cultural, social and economical boom. In 2008, Seoul Metropolitan Government created the Seoul Global Center, an innovative concept which grew into the ultimate entry point for foreigners : multicultural teams welcome visitors from all horizons, backgrounds and profiles, providing an amazing array of services and multi-language personal and business consultations.

This one-stop-serving organization opened several branches across the city, and keeps proposing new services for eveveryday life as well as for business life, constantly adapting its offer to the needs of growing* and demanding populations until then too often left to their own devices. SGC even performs on-site consultations on week-ends in order to reach thousands of migrant workers who have little opportunities to visit its centers.

From learning Korean to tackling every aspect of daily life in Korea to setting up your own business, Seoul Global Center is the place where you find answers you didn't even know you had to look for. The relevance of the service is guaranteed by partnerships with key organizations : Korea Immigration Service (ie Extension of visa, ID issuance...), Driver's License Agency (ie Issuance of Korean driver's license), National Tax Service (ie consultations on national tax, income tax, sales tax...), National Pension Service, Korea Legal Corporation (professional consultations for labor, personal injury, and business law), National Health Insurance Corporation, Consumers Union (consumer complaints), Seoul Tourism Association. Commercial partners include Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) for financial services and LG Telecom for mobile phone services.

Speaking of phone services : Seoul City opened a one-stop "120 Dasan Call Center" for foreigners, extending the Seoul Global Center hotline (1688-0120) service 365 days a year and from 9 am to 10 pm, and completing between 10 pm and 9 am with the Korea Tourism Organization's hotline (1330). If needed, the call center redirects to other hotlines, such as e-Government for Foreigners (1345), the Emergency Medical Information Center (1339), or the Korea Migrants' Center (1644-0644). So the only number you have to remember is 120. 5 languages are already available : English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Mongolian.

But don't think of the Center as a simple information booth : it's rather a dynamic of innovation. In a constant dialog (beyond yearly town hall meetings), all citizens and residents are encouraged to suggest improvements, and this feed-back helps not only fine tune the service in real time, but drive actual changes in laws and everyday life for all Seoul citizens. There is no equivalent to such a comprehensive concept anywhere and unsurprisingly, other countries are already benchmarking Seoul for this fantastic effort. Within Korea, Ulsan and Incheon have already planned their Global Centers for 2010 and 2011.

So be part of Seoul and invest in Seoul : Seoul is already investing in you !

Seoul Village

see all posts related to SGC in Seoul Village.

Seoul Global Center : global.seoul.go.kr

... 120 Dasan Call Center : dial 120 (365/24/7 hotline for foreigners)

... SGC main office : Seoul Global Center 3F, Seoul Press Center, 25 Taepyeongno 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, 100-750, Korea
Tel : +82-2-1688-0120 - Fax : +82-2-723-3206 - e-mail : hotline@seoul.go.kr / hotline@sba.seoul.kr

... SGC's Seoul Global Business Support Center (that's the name) : COEX 1st Floor, 159-1, Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul - see details and contacts

... SGC's 7 Seoul Global Village Centers :

- in GANGNAM-GU (YEOKSAM) : Yeoksam Global Village Center in 5F Yeoksam1 Residence Center, 829-20, Yeoksam 1-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Telephone : 02-3453-9038~9. email : yeoksam@sba.seoul.kr

- in MAPO-GU (YEONNAM) : Yeonnam Global Village Center in 3rd floor, Suseong bld., 198-31 Dongkyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul (NB: significant Chinese community). Telephone : 02-6406-8151~3. email : yeonnam@sba.seoul.kr

- in SEOCHO-GU (SEORAE VILLAGE) : Seorae Global Village Center in 90-12 Banpo 4-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul (NB: in the heart of Seorae Maeul, a strong French community). Telephone : 02-2155-8915~6. email : seorae@sba.seoul.kr

- in SEONGBUK-GU : Seongbuk Multicultural Village Center in 246, Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul (NB: a hub for diplomats). Telephone : 920-3462~4. email : kmj0901@sb.go.kr

- in YEONGDEUNGPO-GU : Yeongdeungpo Multicultural Village Center in 2nd floor, Standard Chartered First Bank Korea, 710-10, Daerim 3-Dong, Yeongdeungpo-Gu, Seoul (NB: many Chinese migrant workers and Korean-Chinese residents). Telephone : 02-2670-3800~7. email : yeongdeungpo@sba.seoul.kr

- in YONGSAN-GU (ICHON-DONG) : Ichon Global Village Center in 304 Hangang Shopping Center, 300-27 Ichon 1-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 140-854 (NB: strong Japanese community). Telephone : 02-796-2018~9. email : ichon@sba.seoul.kr

- in YONGSAN-GU (ITAEWON-HANNAM) : Itaewon-Hannam Global Village Center in 5F Hannam Bldg., 737-37 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 140-893. Telephone : 02-796-2459~60. email : itaewon@sba.seoul.kr

* international population in Seoul grew from 114,685 in 2004 to 255,749 in 2009