Our Story

I understand because I have lived it.

My name is Anneth Bunas, and my experiences as a foreign resident in South Korea are at the heart of Foreigners Consulting Center.

I came to Korea as a marriage migrant and experienced the culture shock and uncertainty of beginning a new life in another country. After my marriage broke down and my Korean husband left, I became a single parent. I raised my child on my own while working to support us and establish myself in Korea’s employment environment.

These experiences taught me how isolating life can become when a foreign resident does not know where to find reliable information, communication assistance or practical support. They gave me a personal understanding of the challenges faced by marriage migrants, migrant workers and single parents.

From one small office to international clients.

Before establishing my business, I pursued an administrative position connected with Samsung Heavy Industries. While exploring opportunities in Geoje’s shipbuilding and offshore sector, I completed offshore safety training and obtained industry-related licenses and certificates.

A Singaporean agency assisted by recommending my résumé to a Danish company. Although the position existed, I was informed that I could not be considered because of the employer’s eligibility requirements for that administrative role. I decided to create my own opportunity.

With help from a Korean friend who operated a real estate agency, I secured an office and, after about one month of preparation, officially opened Gain Services as an individually owned consulting business on June 10, 2013. This was the beginning of the work that later continued through Foreigners Consulting Center.

On opening day, I began assisting clients from the United Kingdom. In the following months, I welcomed engineers and families from Norway, Denmark, France, the United States, Brazil, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and several African countries. As the business grew, established agencies also subcontracted Gain Services to assist international clients and their families with local needs.

A wider community needed support.

During its early years, the business supported international engineers in Geoje’s oil and gas industry and their families through interpretation, communication assistance and practical help with everyday life in Korea.

When COVID-19 affected the industry, many international companies, engineers and families left Geoje. One of our partner law firms encouraged us to look more closely at the difficulties faced by Filipino and other Southeast Asian migrant workers, marriage migrants and foreign residents.

I realized how many people needed accessible help with communication, interpretation, financial planning, insurance consultation, supportive counselling and everyday concerns. FCCG expanded its focus and began collaborating with Filipino community leaders to support migrant workers, marriage migrants and their families.

A multicultural support network.

On May 13, 2024, the individually operated business transitioned into the registered corporation Foreigners Consulting Center Co., Ltd. (외국인컨설팅센터 주식회사). Today, we work with Filipino community leaders and Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian and Rwandan consultants and community contacts to support foreign residents in Geoje and other areas of South Korea.

The right support from the right professional.

For legal, labor, immigration or administrative matters, we may assist with interpretation, communication and appointment coordination before connecting clients with partner law firms or appropriately qualified professionals. FCCG is not a law firm, labor-attorney office or licensed administrative-agent office.

Our counselling and guidance are supportive in nature and are not substitutes for licensed medical, psychological or emergency mental-health services.