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| Foreign Minister Park Jin, second row second from left, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, second row third from left, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, back row seventh from left, ambassadors of 24 countries and other dignitaries pose during a presentation luncheon hosted by the Global Elim Foundation in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, Monday. The foundation was established to support foreign students, residents and multicultural families in Korea. Courtesy of Global Elim Foundation |
By Park Han-sol
The Global Elim Foundation, which was founded by Yoido Full Gospel Church to support foreign students, residents and multicultural families in Korea, unveiled on Monday its major projects that will go into effect this year and its plan to establish wider partnerships with government agencies and non-profit organizations.
The foundation's presentation luncheon, held in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, invited Foreign Minister Park Jin, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and the ambassadors of 24 countries, in addition to foreign residents, migrant workers and multicultural family members here.
"The number of foreign students in Korean universities has been increasing steadily and we foresee the numbers will continue to grow. As of 2022, Korea has approximately 167,000 foreign students from all over the world," Lee Young-hoon, the foundation's chairman and senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, said at the event.
Seoul Mayor Oh said, "There are approximately 430,000 foreign residents in Seoul alone, accounting for 4.5 percent of the city's total population. When taking into consideration the rising influx of migrant workers due to the expansion of global exchanges and Korea's labor shortage, the number of foreigners and multicultural families in Korea are expected to continue increasing in the foreseeable future."
Against ths backdrop, the Global Elim Foundation is seeking to broaden its partnerships with other organizations to systematize its cultural and administrative assistance for foreigners here.
For the students, its Global Mentoring Center provides scholarships and career guidance, while an internship program offers opportunities to learn about Korean culture and language through hands-on experiences.
The foundation also recently opened the Global Trauma Center to provide counseling in 10 different languages to aid anyone suffering from traumas caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, wars and natural disasters. Its newly renovated Elim Multicultural Center aims to offer spaces for emergency and short-term housing.
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