Ten years ago, expat volunteering organization Hope was set up to pair up English teachers willing to volunteer their time with orphanages and children’s centers that could benefit from their skills.At its height, Hope -- the name stands for Helping Others Prosper through English -- ran about 40 classes in Seoul and mostly nearby areas, and also ran clothing drives and other volunteering activities, receiving a citation from the Ministry of Education.But activities have slowed over the last two

Jan. 17, 2018

 Migrant workers and other foreign residents gathered in central Seoul on Sunday to mark International Migrants Day, observed Dec. 18, calling for stronger protection of their rights.Workers, foreign spouses and international adoptees gathered in front of Seoul Finance Center near City Hall, with similar events held in Busan and Daegu on the same day. Several migrant workers carried signs showing the conditions of their accommodation and how much they were charged for it, following a change in t

Dec. 20, 2017

This article has been edited to clarify that the the items in the gift set have not been tested on animals. - Ed.Those planning to go vegan in 2018 can get a head start on their New Year’s resolution at a Nutty New Year Party in Seoul.In August, organizers Nutties held their first event, a Vegan Cruise Night, and have built on this to bring together a lineup of performances, food and music. The organizers say they have also tried to give the event “a more vibey and trendy style to show that vega

Dec. 20, 2017

Geumcheon Global Village Center is offering pronunciation workshops for Korean language learners at the end of this month.The classes run from 10-11:30 a.m. on Dec. 27, 29 and 30, and places are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Korean language class (Geumcheon Global Village Center)Elsewhere, global village centers in Seorae, Yeoksam, Yeonnam, Ichon and Itaewon are opening registration for the first term of their free Korean classes for foreign residents.Schedules for classes and regist

Dec. 20, 2017

The Itaewon Global Village Center will be offering free health checkups in cooperation with Yongsan District Office Health Center. It will be offering the free metabolic syndrome and health check-up for foreign residents. Foreign residents aged from 20 to 64 years old are invited to undergo the checkup, which will include tests for metabolic syndrome, such as blood sugar, blood pressure, neutral fat, cholesterol and body mass index. The session is for examination purposes only. No medical care o

Dec. 20, 2017

Seoul City is recruiting 30 international students for its biannual global internship program. International students currently enrolled at colleges in Seoul are invited to apply.The interns will work full-time at Seoul City Hall and affiliated organizations for an eight-week period between Jan. 2 and Feb. 21 next year. The interns' task will include research on foreign policy, translation of materials and other globally oriented work at governmental bodies.The city’s global internship program,

Nov. 28, 2017

Camarata Music Company and the Christian Business Men’s Connection will hold a Christmas concert next month to usher in the festive season.It will be a larger than usual Christmas performance for Camarata. The company, a group of Korean and expat singers and musicians in Seoul, has traditionally performed Handel’s “Messiah” each year, but conductor and Executive Director Ryan Goessl said he hoped this concert would help the company grow as an organization, while also raising money for good cause

Nov. 22, 2017

Angle Magazine is returning after a year’s hiatus to stage an Angle X art and music showcase in Busan on Saturday.The Angle X shows grew out of the expat-led online culture magazine’s first birthday show in Busan. Since then the group has held shows in other places in the south such as Daegu.The MagusThe event wasn’t held last year as the magazine went through a quiet period, with magazine founder Philip Brett moving to Jeju Island for a year and other members working on other projects. The maga

Nov. 22, 2017

Since a change of status last year, the IFEZ Global Center in Incheon has seen its role expand, along with the number of expats using its services. The center offers services to foreign residents in the three cities designated as part of the Incheon Free Economic Zone -- Songdo, Yeongjong and Cheongna International City -- from language assistance to cultural experiences. Expats take part in cultural activities at the IFEZ Global Center in Songdo, Incheon. (IFEZ)The IFEZ Global Center opened in

Nov. 8, 2017

Gwangju International Center will run its Kimchi Road program on Nov. 18-19. Held as part of the Gwangju International Kimchi Festival, the two-day tour visits a forest lodge in Mudeungsan, where guests will get an introduction to kimchi and hands-on instruction at making kimchi themselves.The program includes shopping for ingredients and harvesting them from fields as well as making kimchi and a cookery competition using kimchi as an ingredient.Participation is 10,000 won. Registration is open

Nov. 8, 2017

Back with more bite-size drama and onstage laughs, Seoul Players’ 10-Minute Play Festival holds its opening round this weekend.The festival features brand new works from Korea and around the globe competing to win the top prize. And this year’s festival, the seventh, presents 160 minutes of theater running the gamut -- from comedy and physical farce to drama and experimental performance. “As in years past, we had an impressive number of play submissions to choose from this time,” said festival p

Nov. 8, 2017

Gwangju Performance Project will stage William Shakespeare’s comedy “The Taming of the Shrew,” but with a twist: The roles are gender-swapped.In the play, Lucentia wants to marry Bianco, but cannot until his bad-tempered older brother Cato first finds a wife. The plot revolves around efforts to tame Cato and allow Lucentia to get her man. Shows are Saturday at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m., and again at the same times the following weekend.Tickets are 8,000 won to the early Saturday sho

Nov. 8, 2017

Seoul Global Center’s Business Start-Up School is offering a course on how to take advantage of Korea’s e-commerce platforms. It is the sixth advanced course offered by the school, in partnership with its business consulting service. Up to 25 people can join the course, which runs at the center’s main building. Classes are in English and take place from 7-9 p.m., from Nov. 29-Dec. 1. The course is free of charge and open to all foreign residents in Seoul.Applications are accepted on a first-come

Nov. 8, 2017