Relocation always involves the shock of the new, and no more so than when the movement in question is to a foreign country. Foreigners and their families moving to Seoul, however, have the benefit of a growing network of services and amenities to provide practical advice about living in the capital, smooth out problems, and generally help newcomers adapt to their new surroundings.

As the Korean economy has boomed, the country and particularly the capital has become a magnet for foreign corporations wanting to do business. Consequently, the sheer weight of the numbers of foreigners who have arrived has served to change the face of Seoul; Seoul in return has responded by becoming more foreigner-friendly, taking on the aspect of a world city as the international profile of the country itself assumes new proportions.

Among the more striking developments has been the affinity for the expatriate for specific residential areas, and where it is common to find apartment buildings specifically for the use of foreigners. Particularly favored areas include Sungbuk-dong, Hannam-dong, Banpo-dong, and Itaewon-dong.

"Their attraction is based on the fact they are all good areas compared to others," said Mr. K.J. Lee of P.L. Realty. He notes living standards in Seoul for expatriates are "quite improved and still improving. Expatriates are quite satisfied with the quality of their living standards." The attraction is also based on particular facilities to accommodate foreigners. "The French school is located in Banpo-dong, home to many members of the French community, and the German school is located in Hannam-dong as is an international kindergarten," he said. Also popular is Yonghi-dong, home to the American-system based Seoul Foreign School. "All these amenities make it very convenient to live in Seoul," said Mr. Lee. On the other hand he points out "the expatriates living outside these areas tend to feel isolated."

In response to such feelings inevitable to expatriates worldwide, a plethora of community groups and institutions have sprung up to cater to a wide range of cultural interests and tastes, ranging from Le Cercle Franco-Coreen to the Indian Women's Association and from the Club Ibero Americano to the Overseas Chinese Women's Club. Several foreign governments including the British, American, Portuguese, and German maintain cultural centers. Expat 'netizens wishing to keep abreast of what's happening in the international community can click on to the expatriate Internet bulletin board at kexpat@uriel.net.

Among the longest-standing social and cultural organizations is the Seoul International Women's Association. Founded in 1962 as The Sojourners' Club, SIWA now has 1,100 members from over 80 countries. "SIWA exists to provide support for expatriate women and help them learn about the country they live in," said president Magdolna van Damme. "We're also here to help communication between different national groups to help them understand each other. A kind of globalization of the mind."

Monthly meetings compliment SIWA's cultural program held once a month, offering courses on a range of subjects from calligraphy to Korean dining. Concerts, lectures, lunches and tours to factories, museums and festivals are organized purely for the enjoyment of members.

Mrs. van Damme said: "When you understand the culture of a place better, the more you will enjoy living there." A Newcomers' Coffee is held every month; the event in September at the Seoul Club featured a demonstration of traditional Korean dress and music. New on SIWA's calendar is a working women's happy hour, an event held once a month for expatriate women holding down jobs in the capital. In addition, charitable initiatives provide hundreds of thousands of dollars to worthy causes throughout Korea. "We want woman who come here to be happy and to find Korea a good place to live in," she said. "When the women have no problems, their husbands, who generally work longer hours here, have no problems. It's a circle."

To help resolve problems great and small was the driving force behind the creation of FOCUS, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping foreigners who live in Seoul, and whose membership now tops 500 individual families. The organization offers general information on living in Seoul, plus medical and counselling referrals. "FOCUS began 21 years ago as the Korean economy started booming in the late 1970s and more foreigners other than military personnel started to arrive," says president Lucille Taylor. "At that time a group of people came together realizing some form of support was needed for new arrivals. The group they formed was a volunteer-based general information and counselling service called Foreigners' Community Service." In 1988 the service merged with its medical counterpart of the time, HART, to form FOCUS. The organization now has an office in the Lutheran International Church in Hannam-dong and a 24-hour hot-line for emergencies. "Although we are a membership organization, we never turn anyone away in an emergency," said Mrs. Taylor. The range of inquiries FOCUS handles are varied. "We get calls about restaurants, what churches there are, and even where to buy dog food," said Mrs. Taylor. Housing is a frequent topic of inquiry since foreign companies tend to underestimate the local cost of accommodation.

Mrs. Taylor points out FOCUS's assistance is geared largely to Seoul. "We don't have the infrastructure in places that an increasing number of foreigners are moving to," she said. However, the organization has recently published a handbook in conjunction with the American Chamber of Commerce to inform expatriates of a wide range of aspects of life in their adopted country, entitled "Focus on Living in Korea." "We recommend people join FOCUS, preferably before they come to Korea to obtain the handbook and our related literature," advises Mrs. Taylor. Some 65 volunteers work on FOCUS's counselling and medical teams, both of which are equipped with beepers and have an established code to recognize emergencies. If someone wants a dentist FOCUS will advise the caller to call again the following morning. However, if a child falls and concussion is suspected, the medical team who are equipped with cellular phones will be beeped immediately. "We try to find the best place available for medical care where someone speaks English and where they feel comfortable with their surroundings," said Mrs. Taylor. "We do seem to be able to help people, especially those with young children. The [expat] population is getting younger and there are mid-wives on the team." To enhance local emergency response services, FOCUS has contributed funds to paramedically equip two of three ambulances based at each of the fire stations in the areas heavily populated by foreigners: Sungbuk-dong, Itaewon-dong and Yonghi-dong. Mrs. Taylor advise foreigners in the case of an emergency to get to a hospital the quickest way possible, always have $500 in cash on hand, and to undertake a dummy run to a hospital to know the way. "Better that than do it in a panic," she said.

The FOCUS/AMCHAM handbook recommends almost a dozen medical facilities including four international clinics set up specifically to cater to the needs of foreigners. "Foreigners are afraid when they come to Korea about needing medical attention," said Dr. John Linton a third-generation Korean-born American doctor at the Severance Hospital's International Clinic. "They wonder, 'what will happen to me if I have a heart attack or something traumatic happens?'" Foreigners are insecure, notes Dr. Linton who estimates he treats half Seoul's expat population. "When Magic Johnson contracted Aids I had 200 phone calls from young foreign men who were concerned they had the disease. They had no one to talk to." Despite the often crowded conditions in emergency rooms (the pathway in the Korean medical system to getting a hospital bed), he advises foreigners in dire need of medical attention to seek out an ER, "because that's where the equipment is." Misunderstandings do happen. All Korean doctors expect foreigners to understand the Latin terms used in medicine, said Dr. Linton, and will freely interchange between Latin and English when describing a patient's condition.

In addition, "Korean doctors have heard a lot about litigation. So while a foreign patient may be terrified of a Korean doctor, the doctor may be terrified of the patient." Much of his job is "getting doctors to trust patients and helping with communication," Dr. Linton said. In general, Mrs. van Damme observes, "life here for the expatriate community seems to change every day. Shopping-wise there are many items familiar to foreigners which aren't available, but the variety is growing daily." She notes the quality of shopping has particularly improved with the arrival of K-Mart and the European discount stores Carrefour and Makro. "There's now a variety of restaurants to chose from," she said. "At one time there was only one Italian restaurant; now there's 10." "Compared to when I arrived eight-and-a-half years ago, life is much easier," said Mrs. Taylor. "There's more English spoken and more signs in English. I love living in Korea very much." Deeply embedded in Korean society is the concept of welcoming strangers to the point of some observers describing Korea as a "host culture." This tradition was exemplified by Korea's last emperor, Kojong, who not chartered the Seoul Club in 1904 to provide social, business and recreational facility for the international community and internationally-minded Koreans, but gave over his personal library in the grounds of Doksu Palace to provide a home for the club. The Seoul Club continues to thrive in its own premises located between the Shilla and Tower Hotels.

The success and adaptation of Seoul's expatriate community plus the adaptation of the city itself demonstrates now more than ever the ability of the nation's capital to furnish foreigners with a "home-away-from home."

Useful numbers:
FOCUS + 82 2 797-8212.
SIWA + 82 2 793-0673

by Charles Duerden