North Jeolla appoints 12 foreign mentors to help international residents settle in Korea

Twelve foreign residents in North Jeolla holding regional specialized visas will help fellow international residents adjust to life in the region this year.

According to the North Jeolla provincial government Tuesday, 12 international residents will serve as mentors for other foreigners to share their experience and local information.

A kick-off ceremony was held Sunday at the Jeonbuk International Cooperation Agency, where the selected residents shared their experiences and the difficulties they faced while adjusting to life in the area.

The 12 participants come from six countries: Vietnam, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Cambodia and Bangladesh. They hold regional specialized visas, such as the F-2-R visa for long-term residents or the E-7-4-R visa for skilled workers. The regional specialized visa scheme was introduced in 2022 to tackle population decline in rural areas by granting visas to foreigners willing to live and work in designated regions.

For 2025 and 2026, a total of 5,072 slots were allocated for the F-2-R visa across 89 regions. For the E-7-4 visas, the eligible areas expanded to 107.

The 12 selected North Jeolla residents currently live in Jeonju, Jeongeup, Gimje, Gochang County and Buan County.

According to the local government, most of the selected residents are highly proficient in Korean, holding a Level 5 on the Test of Proficiency in Korean. Officials expect this language fluency to help them bridge the gap between the international resident community and local neighborhoods.

Through December, the selected mentors will create social media content on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to share information on the regional specialized visa scheme and daily living tips in North Jeolla in their native languages. They will also hold online mentoring sessions for foreigners who want to apply for the visa scheme.

The program is expected to expand into promoting volunteer activities and translating information related to daily life in North Jeolla to support the stable resettlement of foreign residents.

“When I first came to North Jeolla, it was hard to find reliable information, so I had no choice but to rely on administrative agents or people around me,” said Anjana Ravinath, a participant from Sri Lanka. “Now, as [someone] who obtained the regional specialized visa first, I want to be a reliable guide so that [others] from my home country can settle down stably.”

This marks the inaugural launch of the program by the local government, which will determine whether to extend the initiative in the future depending on its performance, according to a provincial government official.

“We will continue to expand social integration programs and various support measures so that talented foreign residents can stably settle down as members of our local community,” said Baik Kyong-tae, director-general of the public and international affairs bureau of the North Jeolla provincial government.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO   [[email protected]]