Geumcheon-gu launches AI multilingual translation service to improve access for foreign residents

Seoul's Geumcheon-gu has introduced an AI-powered automatic multilingual translation service to improve foreign residents' access to administrative information.

Starting Monday, the district will operate the service across six of its major official websites — including those of the district office, the open district mayor's office, media and public relations, the education portal, the public health center and the integrated reservation system — Geumcheon-gu announced.

The service provides real-time translation of district news and administrative information posted on those sites into five languages: English, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai. Users can select their preferred language directly on the website without installing any separate translation software.

The move reflects the national-origin breakdown and administrative needs of the district's foreign residents. As of the end of September, Geumcheon-gu had 28,899 foreign residents — including registered foreigners and domestic-residence registrants — accounting for about 13 percent of the total registered population. Ethnic Korean Chinese and Chinese nationals make up the largest share, with Vietnamese and Thai nationals also representing a significant portion.

The district also expects synergies with its existing AI chatbot, Tonghap Narebot, which handles civil affairs inquiries in more than 30 languages around the clock, 365 days a year.

While the website translation service delivers posted administrative information in the user's chosen language, Tonghap Narebot searches for and presents relevant information in response to individual questions — covering everything from information searches to civil affairs consultations, making administrative services more accessible to foreign residents.

"We hope residents who have had difficulty accessing district information because of language barriers will find it easier to get the information they need through this service," Geumcheon-gu District Mayor Choi Ki-chan said. "We will continue to expand administrative services that residents can use conveniently by leveraging digital technology."