Foreign Residents of Ansan to Get Administrative Support in 28 Languages
Mention "the immigration office" to most foreigners in Korea, and you'll trigger an immediate headache: endless queues, towering paperwork,
Mention "the immigration office" to most foreigners in Korea, and you'll trigger an immediate headache: endless queues, towering paperwork, language barriers, and the creeping anxiety of missing one minor stamp. If you live in Ansan, take a breath. The city has made the entire process surprisingly painless.
Recognized across the country as Korea’s exemplary intercultural hub, Ansan City is stepping up to solve one of the biggest headaches expats face: navigating complex administrative civil services. Instead of leaving residents to fumble through confusing paperwork or run every notice through Google Translate or Papago, Ansan is bringing artificial intelligence directly to City Hall.
The Big Move: AI Meets City Administration
On the 18th, Ansan City Hall hosted a major collaboration and kick-off meeting led by Mayor Lee Min-geun. Joined by city officials, foreign resident support organizations, and tech partner Hello Friends Co., Ltd., the city officially laid out plans for its new RAG-based Administrative Civil Service Solution.
If "RAG" sounds like technical jargon, here is what it actually means for you: Retrieval-Augmented Generation.
Instead of relying on a generic AI that guesses answers or makes things up, this system is backed by over 100,000 real-world consultation records gathered from foreign residents over the years. That means when you have a question about your documents, registration, or municipal benefits, the system pulls verified, accurate, and context-specific answers designed specifically for foreign nationals living in Korea.
Figure: Mayor Lee Min-geun, city officials, and representatives from Hello Friends Co., Ltd. at the project kick-off meeting.
28 Languages, Zero Guesswork
The most exciting part of this initiative isn't just the smart technology, it’s how accessible it will be.
- Conversational AI Chatbots: You will be able to ask questions online naturally, as if chatting with a helpful staff member, without having to memorize formal Korean bureaucratic terms.
- Unmanned Smart Kiosks: Self-service digital kiosks installed across administrative spots will allow you to quickly verify details on the spot.
- Support in 28 Languages: You can do all this in your own language now. Whether you speak English, Vietnamese, Chinese, Russian, Urdu, or another language, you can get clear instructions in your native tongue.
No more waiting hours just to ask a simple five-minute question at the counter. No more panic about whether you brought the right supporting paperwork.
Figure: Kiosk machine in operation at Ansan Support Center for Foreign Residents.
Figure: Multilingual kiosk interface in Urdu and instructional banners demonstrating kiosk operation.
Backed by National GovTech Innovation
This isn't just a small city experiment; it is part of the 2026 GovTech Startup AI Demonstration and Commercialization Support Project, backed by the Ministry of Science and ICT alongside the National Information & Communication Technology Promotion Agency (NIPA).
As Mayor Lee Min-geun put it during the launch:
"As Korea’s representative intercultural city, Ansan is pursuing improvements in administrative services utilizing digital technology so that foreign residents can access necessary administrative services without language barriers. We are presenting a new model for foreign resident services that people can truly feel in their daily lives."
Science and Technology Policy at Work
We often think of national science and technology policies in terms of high-level research and major industrial goals. But this project is a great example of how that same policy translates into everyday life. When national initiatives support practical GovTech solutions, the innovation doesn't just stay in research labs, it lands right where people need it most. By teaming up with diverse communities like Ansan, the country is turning technological progress into tools that solve daily challenges, making life easier and more connected for everyone on the ground.
Figure: Public engagement with the multilingual kiosk: (a) School students exploring the kiosk and its functions; (b) a foreign user and HelloFriends staff member posing with the kiosk; and (c) a foreign user displaying a completed form obtained through the kiosk.
A Better Way Forward
Living in a foreign country already comes with its share of everyday challenges. Navigating local government services shouldn't be one of them. By pairing real human experience with cutting-edge tech, Ansan is showing what an inclusive, modern community actually looks like.
Next time you need administrative help in Ansan, keep an eye out for the new AI services and kiosks. Getting your paperwork sorted might just become the easiest part of your week.
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Article by Ahmad Bin Aamir
