SIR. We refer to your article Council's Korean trip' (November 14).

For some years now Koreans have chosen to leave their country of origin to settle in England.

We understand that some 20,000 have immigrated, mainly to New Malden, constituting the largest Korean community outside Korea. Apparently they are happy, intelligent and hard working people who have enriched this area with their commercial and cultural input.

If Councillor Osbourne wanted to gain "an insight into the expectations of our Korean residents", he did not need to travel thousands of miles to Korea, he could have popped round the corner from his house into New Malden and talked to the local Koreans who, we are sure, would have been more than happy to tell him. Perhaps he did not know of the close proximity of this community.

We understand that a Korean Residents' Society is already in existence to provide self-help. It would appear, therefore, that the Korean Language help desk proposed and presumably funded by the council, is surplus to requirements.

The expense for the councils of each country of a reciprocal arrangement of this nature have in the circumstances, seemingly been of no value other than a social courtesy.

Beryl and Ray Broom
Alexandra Drive, Surbiton