Editor’s column

It has been a very busy year thus far in the Jeju Weekly office, and in my personal life as I become reacquainted with Jeju Island in particular, and Korea in general. In the past two months I have relocated countries, moved house, bought a car and borrowed a motorcycle, and dealt with the paperwork entailed in all the above and in opening bank accounts and getting my Alien Registration Card. This is in addition to attending a wedding in Thailand, from which a minor motorbike accident has resulted in daily doctor’s visits and, of course, overseeing my first four issues of Jeju Weekly.

During all of this, I have been pleasantly surprised at how much more foreigner-friendly Korea and Jeju have become since I first came to the country to work in 2001. Having been away for almost two years, the improvements are even more noticeable to me.

I visited immigration for the purposes of writing an article for our Hard Facts series (watch for it in an upcoming issue) and found that not only does the service now offer a contact center for consultations in 18 languages, but there is copious information available in English and other languages, both in printed form and online. This is a vast improvement on even just a few years ago when it was difficult to get clear and precise information in writing.

It was also a very pleasant surprise to find that the Korea Exchange Bank offers a dedicated expat banking service that offered all I want from my bank, which is in stark contrast to the services provided by my former bank in Indonesia.

Korea’s health insurance system is also something to be proud of, and my daily doctor’s visits cost only a fraction of what they would in much of the Western world.

I was also fortunate to be invited to accompany a group of potential volunteer guides to Abu Oreum on Jan. 23 (see the news brief on page 18) and was delighted to meet residents who are not only proud of the unique geological and geographical features that make up Jeju’s environment, but actively want to share that knowledge with others. Most were teachers and I am encouraged that they will be educating the next generation to take care of the island’s fragile ecosystem.

I know that not everything will always run smoothly here, just as it doesn’t always in any other country I have visited, but I commend and welcome the many ways in which Jeju Island, and the rest of Korea, tries to assist and welcome visitors and temporary residents.