SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT ORDINANCE ON SUPPORT FOR FOREIGN RESIDENTS AND MULTI-CULTURAL FAMILIES

SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT ORDINANCE ON SUPPORT FOR FOREIGN RESIDENTS AND MULTI-CULTURAL FAMILIES
Article 1 (Purpose) Article 2 (Definitions) 1. “Foreign resident” refers to a foreigner who has resided in Seoul Metropolitan City (hereinafter referred to as the “City”) for more than ninety (90) days and/or a person who has acquired Korean citizenship and their children. 2. “Multicultural family” refers to a family residing within the City limits and falling under any of the following categories. A. A family consisting of a marriage immigrant as defined in Article 2, Paragraph 3 of the Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners Residing in the Republic of Korea and a person who acquired Korean nationality in accordance with Articles 2 through 4 of the Nationality Act B. A family consisting of a person who acquired Korean nationality in accordance with Articles 3 and 4 of the Nationality Act and a person who acquired Korean nationality in accordance with Articles 2 through 4 of the same Act 3. “Foreign resident and multicultural family support organization” refers to a non-profit corporation or organization established with the main business of supporting foreign residents and multicultural families. Article 3 (Status of Foreign Residents and Multicultural Families) Article 4 (Duties of the Mayor) (1) The Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor (hereinafter referred to as the “Mayor”) shall promote appropriate policies to ensure stable family life and early settlement in the local community for foreign residents and multicultural families. (2) The Mayor shall establish a department dedicated to support policies for foreign residents and multicultural families, and prepare measures to secure human resources and financial needs accordingly. <Amended on May 14, 2015> Article 5 (Basic Plan for Foreign Residents and Multicultural Families Policies) (1) The Mayor shall establish a basic plan for foreign residents and multicultural family policies (hereinafter referred to as the “basic plan”) every five (5) years. (2) The basic plan shall include the following. 1. Basic goals and directions of foreign residents and multicultural family policies 2. Tasks, methods, and timing of promotion of policies for foreign residents and multicultural families 3. Matters concerning the procurement and operation of financial resources 4. Any other matters deemed necessary to promote effective foreign residents and multicultural family policies (3) The basic plan under Paragraph 1 shall be finalized after deliberation by the Foreign Residents and Multicultural Families Support Consultative Council pursuant to Article 8. Article 6 (Implementation Plan by Year) (1) The Mayor shall establish, implement, and evaluate the Foreign Residents and Multicultural Families Implementation Plan (hereinafter referred to as the “Implementation Plan”) every year. (2) The implementation plan must include the following items. <Amended on May 14, 2015> 1. Goals and visions of supporting foreign residents and multicultural families 2. Support policies for foreign residents and multicultural families 3. Securing funds for support projects for foreign residents and multicultural families 4. Education and publicity to create a sound international marriage culture and increase understanding of multiculturalism 5. Concerning the establishment of a service linkage and cooperation system between organizations for the efficient promotion of support projects for foreign residents and multicultural families 6. Matters concerning the establishment of a cooperative system with private organizations 7. Any other matters deemed necessary to support foreigners and multicultural families (3) The Mayor shall establish an implementation plan based on the basic plan pursuant to Article 5 but shall take into consideration the contents of the basic plan and implementation plan established pursuant to the Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners Residing in the Republic of Korea and the Multicultural Families Support Act. (4) The implementation plan under Paragraph 1 shall be finalized after deliberation by the Foreign Residents and Multicultural Families Support Consultative Council pursuant to Article 8. (5) The Mayor shall reflect the results of the current status survey under Article 17, Paragraph 3 in establishing the implementation plan under Paragraph 1. <Newly established on May 3, 2018> Article 7 (Details and Scope of Support) (1) The scope of support for foreign residents is as follows. <Amended on Mar. 28, 2019, Sep. 26, 2019, Jul. 20, 2021, Oct. 17, 2022> 1. Education and publicity to prevent unreasonable discrimination against foreign residents and protect human rights 2. Education, information provision, and counseling on basic literacy and knowledge required for living by foreign residents. 3. Systems and policies necessary to improve the legal status and treatment of professional foreign workers 4. Holding of various cultural and sports events 5. Administrative services necessary for business operations of foreigners and foreign investment companies 6. Child care and education programs for the children of foreign residents 7. Projects to maintain equal family relationships, including family counseling, couples education, parent education, and family life education for foreign residents 8. Prevention of domestic violence within the families of foreign residents and protection and support for foreign residents who have suffered domestic violence 9. Providing information on living convenience, emergency relief, and disaster preparedness 10. Protection of the rights and interests and human rights of foreign workers 11. Other matters deemed necessary by the Mayor (2) The scope of support for multicultural families is as follows. <Amended on May 14, 2015, Oct. 17, 2022, Mar. 15, 2024> 1. Education and publicity to increase understanding of multicultural families, prevent unreasonable discrimination, and protect human rights 2. Provision of basic information necessary for life for married immigrants, etc., as well as adaptation education and counseling 3. Implementation of Korean language education for marriage immigrants, etc., vocational education/training, and job linkage 4. Projects to maintain equal family relationships, including family counseling, couples education, parent education, and family life education for multicultural families 5. Prevention of domestic violence within multicultural families and protection and support for married immigrants who have suffered from domestic violence 6. Provision of medical services such as nutrition and health education, dispatch of prenatal and postnatal helpers, and health checkups to help married immigrants and others live healthy lives 7. Provision of foreign language interpretation and translation services to married immigrants, etc. 8. Provision of information on evacuation procedures in case of disaster 9. Legal service support for responding to unreasonable measures targeting multicultural families 10. Protection and support for children from multicultural families who have suffered physical, mental, or sexual violence or cruel treatment 11. Other matters deemed necessary by the Mayor (3) The Mayor may provide necessary education and publicity to citizens so that they can recognize and respect the cultural diversity of foreign residents and multicultural families. <Newly established on Oct. 17, 2022> (4) The Mayor shall prepare a budget necessary for carrying out the business related to each subparagraph of Paragraphs 1 and 2, as well as Paragraph 3. <Amended on Oct. 17, 2022> [Title amended on Oct. 17, 2022] Article 7-2 (Support for Children of Foreign Residents and Multicultural Families) (1) The Mayor may support the following items to ensure that children and youths who are members of foreign resident families and multicultural families can adapt well and grow healthily in the local community. 1. Educational support for adaptation to school life and improving language capabilities 2. Support for social and cultural adaptation of children who immigrated into the country 3. Support for costs incurred in operating childcare courses for infants and young children in daycare centers in accordance with the Child Care Act 4. Other child care and education support recognized and deemed necessary by the Mayor (2) However, if support is already being provided under other Acts and subordinate statutes or municipal ordinances, duplicate support is not possible. [This Article Newly Inserted on Mar. 15, 2024] Article 8 (Establishment and Operation of a Consultative Council) (1) In order to efficiently promote support policies for foreign residents and multicultural families, the Mayor shall establish the Seoul Metropolitan City Foreign Residents and Multicultural Families Support Consultative Council (hereinafter referred to as the “Consultative Council”) under the Mayor. (2) The Consultative Council shall be composed of no more than fifteen (15) members, including one (1) Chairperson and one (1) Vice Chairperson. <Amended on May 14, 2015> (3) The Consultative Council shall have the Deputy Mayor for City Administration 1 and the Director of the Office/Department in Charge of Foreign Resident Support as ex officio members, and the rest shall be commissioned by the Mayor from among the following persons. 1. Members of the Seoul Metropolitan City Council 2. Officials from related organizations such as the Board of Education, police station, employment stability center, and immigration office 3. Organizations, institutions, and academic experts related to supporting foreign residents and multicultural families 4. Foreign residents and multicultural family representatives who have resided in the City for more than one (1) year (4) The Consultative Council shall have the Deputy Mayor for City Administration 1 as the Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson shall be elected from among the members. (5) The term of office of commissioned members shall be two (2) years, and they may be reappointed only twice. <Amended on May 14, 2015> (6) In order to handle the affairs of the Consultative Council, one (1) administrative secretary shall be appointed. The administrative secretary shall be the head of the department or the person in charge of the Consultative Council. <Amended on May 14, 2015> Article 9 (Functions of the Consultative Council) 1. Establishment and evaluation of the basic plan 2. Establishment and evaluation of implementation plans 3. Mutual cooperation on local common issues of support projects 4. Implementation of local communities 5. Other matters deemed necessary by the Mayor or Chairperson Article 10 (Disqualification of Members) 1. A person under adult guardianship, a person under limited guardianship, or a person who has been declared bankrupt and has not been rehabilitated 2. A person who has been sentenced to imprisonment or a heavier penalty and has not passed two (2) years from the date on which the sentence was terminated (including cases where the sentence is deemed to have been terminated) or exempted from execution 3. A person who has been sentenced to a suspension of execution of imprisonment or a heavier penalty and is within the suspended sentence period 4. A person who has been sentenced to a fine and has not passed two (2) years since Article 11 (Exclusion and Recusal of Members) (1) If a member of the Consultative Council falls under any of the following items, they shall be excluded from deliberation and advisory on the relevant agenda item. 1. In cases where a member has performed or is performing consulting services or research related to the subject of the deliberation and advisory 2. In cases where a member is recognized as having a direct or indirect interest in relation to the subject of the deliberation and advice (2) In any of the cases falling under each subparagraph of Paragraph 1, a member must request to recuse themselves from deliberation or advice on the relevant agenda item. (3) If any of the grounds for disqualification listed in each subparagraph of Paragraph 1 arise, the Chairperson shall decide whether to disqualify the member in question, either ex officio or upon request for recusal from the member. Article 12 (Dismissal of Members) (1) The Mayor may dismiss a member even before the expiration of the term of office pursuant to Article 8-2 of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of Various Committees. <Amended on Jul. 24, 2023> (2) The Mayor shall dismiss a member of the Consultative Council if the member falls under any of the provisions of Article 10. Article 13 (Chairperson) Article 14 (Meetings) (1) The meetings of the Consultative Council are divided into regular meetings held twice a year and special meetings convened when the Chairperson deems it necessary. <Amended on May 14, 2015> (2) Consultative Council meetings shall begin when a majority of registered members are present and resolutions shall be passed by approval of a majority of the members present. (3) Consultative Council meetings must be faithfully recorded through meeting records, etc., and must be open to the public in principle. Article 15 (Hearing of Opinions, Etc.) Article 16 (Stipends for Members) Regarding the stipends for members attending Consultative Council meetings, the provisions of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Payment of Committee Stipends and Travel Expenses shall apply. Article 17 (Promotion of Policy Measure Projects) (1) The Mayor may establish and promote an annual plan for environmental improvement projects in areas with high concentrations of foreign residents and multicultural families. (2) The Mayor may establish a public-private service linkage and cooperation system to efficiently promote support projects for foreign residents and multicultural families. (3) The Mayor may conduct necessary fact-finding surveys, such as statistics on foreign residents and multicultural families residing in the City, and surveys on the status of concentrated residential areas. (4) The Mayor may prepare a budget necessary for carrying out policy projects pursuant to Paragraphs 1 through 3. (5) When promoting policy projects pursuant to Paragraphs 1 through 3, the Mayor may request necessary cooperation from local public institutions. In such cases, the relevant public institution requested to cooperate must cooperate unless there exist special reasons. Article 18 (Establishment and Operation of Foreign Residents Support Facilities, Etc.) (1) The Mayor may establish and operate foreign residents support facilities (hereinafter referred to as “support facilities”) to promote projects related to each item of Article 7, Paragraph 1. <Amended on Jul. 20, 2021> (2) In order to operate the support facilities, the Mayor may request the relevant administrative agency, corporation, or organization to dispatch civil servants or employees of the corporation or organization to work at the support facilities. (3) If the Mayor deems it necessary, they may entrust part or all of the support facilities or work pursuant to Paragraph 1 to a corporation, organization, or institution in accordance with the provisions of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Administrative Work to the Private Sector. <Newly established on Jul. 20, 2021> [Title amended on Jul. 20, 2021] Article 19 (Establishment and Operation of Multicultural Family Support Centers, etc.) (1) The Mayor may establish and operate multicultural family support centers (hereinafter referred to as “support centers”) to promote projects related to each item of Article 7, Paragraph 2. <Amended on Jul. 20, 2021> (2) Matters concerning the establishment and operation of the support centers pursuant to Paragraph 1 shall be governed by Article 12 of the Multicultural Families Support Act, and the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules of the same Act. <Amended on Jul. 20, 2021> (3) In order to operate centers efficiently, the Mayor may entrust it and operate it by a private institution falling under any of the subparagraphs of Article 12-2, Paragraph 1 of the Enforcement Decree of the Multicultural Families Support Act. <Amended on Jul. 20, 2021> (4) The entrustment period under Paragraph 3 shall be five (5) years, but the contract may be renewed once if the Mayor deems it necessary. <Amended on Jul. 20, 2021> (5) Other regulations related to civil outsourcing shall be governed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Establishment and Operation of Social Welfare Facilities. <Amended on Jul. 20, 2021> Article 20 (Operational Support for Facilities and Centers, Etc.) (1) In cases where the Mayor entrusts a support facility or support center in accordance with Article 18, Paragraph 3 or Article 19, Paragraph 3, they may support the operating expenses to the entrusted person within the scope of the budget. <Amended on May 14, 2015, Jan. 5, 2017, Jul. 20, 2021> (2) The Mayor shall provide guidance and inspection of the overall facilities and operations of the support facility or support center at least once a year, and, if necessary, may request or inspect reports or documents related to the work, and the trustee of the support facility or support center shall cooperate in the guidance and supervision work. <Newly established on Jul. 20, 2021> [Title amended on Jul. 20, 2021] Article 21 (Support for Foreign Resident and Multicultural Family Support Organizations) The Mayor may provide administrative and financial support necessary for the activities of foreign resident and multicultural family support organizations. Article 22 (Together Day) (1) In order to embrace foreign residents and multicultural families and to strengthen the meaning of cultural diversity, the Mayor shall designate May 20th of each year as "Together Day" in accordance with Article 19 of the Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners Residing in the Republic of Korea and shall designate a one (1) week period as "Together Week," starting from Together Day. (2) The Mayor may hold the following events to commemorate Together Day and Together Week pursuant to Paragraph 1. 1. Commemorative ceremonies and cultural, artistic, and sports events 2. Research presentations and international exchange events 3. Encouragement of individuals and organizations with merit (including foreign residents and multicultural families) 4. Other events to raise local awareness of foreign residents and multicultural families Article 23 (Commendation) (1) The Mayor may award commendations to individuals, corporations, and organizations that are recognized as having made significant contributions to the nation and local communities through activities to support foreign residents and multicultural families. <Amended on May 14, 2015> (2) The procedures required for commendations shall be in accordance with the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Commendation. <Amended on Jan. 5, 2017> Article 24 (Participation of Foreign Residents in Policy) (1) The Mayor must endeavor to enable foreign residents and multicultural families to participate in policy-making. (2) The Mayor must create an environment in which foreign residents and multicultural families can actively participate in community service activities. Article 25 (Enforcement Rules) [Moved from Article 26, Previous Article 25 deleted <Jul. 20, 2021>] [Moved from Article 26, Previous Article 25 deleted <Jul. 20, 2021>] Addendum <No. 9124, Mar. 15, 2024> This Ordinance shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.