Local foreign resident support centres
Learn one place and counselling, interpretation, classes and welfare all connect through it.
Types of centre
- Foreign residents' support centres — run by local authorities: life counselling, interpretation, classes.
- Family centres — programmes for multicultural families. See family-center.
- Migrant workers' support centres — focused on labour advice. See foreign-worker-support-centers.
- Global centres — comprehensive support bodies in large cities. See seoul-global-center.
- Regional hubs for multicultural family support — translation, interpretation and education.
How to find them
- Ask 1577-1366 (Danuri Call Centre) about centres in your area.
- Search by region on the Danuri portal (liveinkorea.kr).
- Check the foreign-resident section of your city, county or district website.
- Ask at your community centre.
- 1345 can also point you there.
What they help with
- Interpretation and translation — accompanying you to offices, hospitals, schools. See interpretation-service.
- Korean classes — free or cheap. See korean-class-free.
- Support for children's education — study help, bilingualism. See child-education-support.
- Employment advice and vocational training — see vocational-training.
- Referral to legal and labour advice
- Guidance on welfare schemes — see welfare-eligibility-check.
Where to go
- 1577-1366 Danuri Call Centre (13 languages, 24 hours)
- Danuri portal www.liveinkorea.kr
- 1345 Immigration Contact Centre
- 129 Health and Welfare Call Centre
- Your nearest community centre
Questions people ask
Can any residence status use them? Eligibility varies by programme. Phone, describe your situation and check.
Is there a charge? Most are free or inexpensive.
Can I be counselled in my own language? It varies by centre. 1577-1366 counsels in 13 languages.
I live rurally and the centre is far. Phone and online counselling are often available. Ask about visiting programmes too. See visiting-education.
Take care
Public support bodies never charge for advice. People impersonate centres to demand money with promises about visas or jobs, so verify on the official number. When applying to programmes, check what personal data you are providing.
Related
seoul-global-center · family-center · foreign-worker-support-centers · danuri-portal · interpretation-service
Source
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Danuri portal www.liveinkorea.kr / As of 2026-08