The Overseas Koreans’ Office will be installed in Incheon, and the integrated civil service office will be located in Gwanghwamun, Seoul
- Full-fledged preparations for the establishment of the Overseas Koreans’ Office
- Convenience, accessibility, work efficiency, and location for balanced local development of overseas Koreans
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 8th that it has decided to locate Incheon, the location of the Overseas Koreans’ Office, which will be launched on June 5th on “Foreign Koreans’ Day” in accordance with the revision of the Government Organization Act. The Overseas Koreans Service Support Center will be established in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, for the convenience of overseas Koreans.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ruling party discussed the location of the Overseas Koreans’ Office through party-government consultations, and decided to place the main office in Incheon and the service support center in Gwanghwamun, Seoul.
The Overseas Koreans’ Office is a dedicated organization that oversees policies and projects related to 7.5 million overseas Koreans. The National Assembly passed the “Framework Act on Overseas Koreans,” which will present the basic goals and directions of overseas Koreans’ policies, last month, laying the legal foundation for strengthening overseas Koreans’ policies more effectively.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it will make efforts to protect the rights and interests of overseas Koreans, promote welfare, strengthen solidarity with the domestic community, and create an environment that can contribute to the development of the country.
An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “The Overseas Koreans’ Office is an organization that listens to the voices of overseas Koreans, establishes policies, and contains the will of the government to grow with overseas Koreans.”
Earlier, the demand for establishing government departments related to overseas Koreans and immigration exchanges has been steadily raised since the past, and with the number of overseas Koreans reaching 7.32 million as of 2021, there has been a need to comprehensively and systematically respond to changes in the policy environment.
During the 20th presidential election, both ruling and opposition candidates promised to establish the Overseas Koreans’ Office, and discussions began in earnest when the new government was launched and the establishment of the Overseas Koreans’ Office was announced on October 6, 2022. Previously, related ministries and the Overseas Koreans Foundation divided the work of overseas Koreans, and to strengthen one-stop support for overseas Koreans, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ policy function was transferred and a separate organization dedicated to overseas Koreans was established.
The Overseas Koreans’ Office will also perform functions such as overseas Koreans and group exchange cooperation, network revitalization, next-generation Koreans’ education, and cultural promotion projects, and will strengthen support policy functions for overseas Koreans and provide one-stop civil service through cooperation with related ministries. Along with the upgrade of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, there were no differences between the ruling and opposition parties in establishing the Overseas Korean.
On November 24, 2022, the People’s Power Overseas Koreans’ Office Establishment Promotion Team, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, the ministry in charge of the Government Organization Act, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the organizer of the Overseas Koreans’ Office.
The National Assembly Administration and Security Committee passed a revision bill on February 16, 2023, which included the establishment of the Overseas Korean Office and the upgrade of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Subsequently, the establishment was confirmed as it passed the plenary session of the National Assembly on February 27.
The Overseas Koreans’ Office is the first Cheong Wa Dae-level agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, consisting of a planning coordinator, operation support department, overseas Koreans’ policy bureau, and exchange and cooperation bureau. The Overseas Koreans’ Office is an external office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that provides civil service services such as exchange and cooperation of 7.5 million overseas Koreans living abroad, next-generation Korean education, and consular affairs, legal affairs, military affairs, and education.
By attracting the Overseas Koreans’ Office, it has added 3 million Incheon citizens and 7.5 million overseas Koreans, making it a global hub city supported by 10 million citizens. The Incheon Metropolitan Government expects to boost investment in multinational companies and attract international organizations by attracting overseas Koreans and create synergy with the “New Hong Kong City Project,” a key pledge of the 8th popular election.
The Overseas Korean Service Support Center, which will be set up in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, considered that it is convenient for foreign Koreans to be close to the embassies of the nationality if they want to see nationality affairs and visa work.
Prior to the official opening of the Overseas Korean Office and the Overseas Korean Service Support Center on June 5, the Overseas Korean Office will temporarily move into the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) building in Songdo, Nam-gu, Incheon, from May 15. The Overseas Koreans Service Support Center will move into the Gwanghwamun Opicia Building located in Gwanghwamun, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Jerry Ahn
16:37 May 09 2023