Independence support — starting again

You are not alone when you have to start again. There are schemes covering housing, work and education together.

What exists

1. Self-reliance grants and self-sufficiency programmes — working while saving towards independence
2. Housing support — rental housing, housing benefit, deposit loan advice
3. Vocational training — free training with allowances. See the vocational-training guide.
4. Job matching — Saeil Centers, employment centres, support centres for foreign workers
5. Korean language education — to the level employment requires
6. Childcare and education support
7. Psychological counselling — recovery is part of independence

Steps

1. Decide your starting point.
   • In a shelter → the shelter counsellor
   • A single parent → community centre, 1644-6621
   • A migrant woman → 1577-1366, a Family Center
   • Unemployed → employment centre, 1350
2. Check all available schemes at the community centre at once.
3. Plan in the order housing → work → education.
4. Prepare the documents.
5. Keep the counselling going regularly.

What you need

• ID
• Income and asset documents
• Family relationship documents
• Lease contract (for housing support)
• A bank account

Where to go

• Your local community service centre
• 129 health and welfare counselling
• 1577-1366 Danuri Helpline (13 languages)
• 1644-6621 single-parent counselling
• Saeil Centers and employment centres
• Your local Family Center

Questions people ask

I don't know where to start. Go to the community centre and say, "I want to know every support I can receive in my situation." If you need interpretation, call 1577-1366 first.

I can't find housing without a deposit. There are rental housing schemes and deposit support or loans. Ask the community centre and 1600-0777.

I can't work with no childcare. Apply for priority daycare admission, the child care service and after-school care together.

My Korean isn't good enough to get a job. Combine Family Center Korean classes with vocational training. The Social Integration Program helps too.

Take care

Do not try to do everything at once. Stabilising housing first, then work, then education is usually the realistic order. Set the order together with a counsellor.

Related

vocational-training · job-support-immigrant · single-parent-support · housing-benefit

Source

Ministry of Health and Welfare, Bokjiro www.bokjiro.go.kr / As of 2026-08