Daily Busan
A conversation with foreign resident Arita Kumiko
Daily Busan interviewed Arita Kumiko, a member of the Busan Foreign Residents Council, which provides an official platform for Busan’s international residents to participate in local affairs. Arita reflected on her life in the city.
Q. Please introduce yourself to Daily Busan subscribers.
Hello, I am Arita Kumiko from Fukuoka, Japan. I first came to Korea in March 2014, and it has already been 10 years since then.
Q. What brought you to Korea?
I was drawn to Korea and visited frequently for work and travel. I had been running my own business in Japan for 20 years, but health issues forced me to step back from my daily routine and take some time to explore outside of work. One of my regular customers kindly advised me to take time off to revitalize myself. Additionally, I met a person from Busan by chance, and we got married.
Q. What do you do in Busan?
I started as a barista and attended an undergraduate program. Along the way, I earned several certifications, primarily in education and social services. I am a qualified level 2 Korean language teacher, lifelong learning educator and social worker.
I currently work as a freelancer, utilizing my multicultural background and various expertise. Recently, I have taught classes on multicultural awareness and global citizenship.
I also run KVJ Global Center, a business to attract international students to Busan. “K” stands for Korea, “V” for Vietnam and “J” for Japan. Unfortunately, the website is currently unavailable.
Q. How do you find your life in Busan?
So far, so good! First of all, Busan is close to my hometown of Fukuoka, and both cities feel similar. Busan people are very friendly and nice. When my Korean wasn’t as good, people kindly helped me when buying things at the market or asking for directions.
Q. What’s your go-to place in Busan?
Definitely Seomyeon. The streets are clean and not very noisy. Pedestrians feel safe there, and the accessibility to public transportation is excellent. As the city center, it offers a vibrant impression of how the residents enjoy Busan, making Seomyeon distinct from other areas like Nampo-dong.
<Today's Vocabulary - 오늘의 단어>
participate in: ~에 참여하다 affair: 일, 정사 frequently: 자주 step back: 물러서다 explore: 탐험하다 advise: 조언하다 revitalize: 새로운 활력을 주다 undergraduate: 학부(대학) certification: 자격증 multicultural: 다문화의 awareness: 인식 pedestrian: 보행자 accessibility: 접근성 distinct from: ~와 차별화된
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