Incheon wins bid to host new agency for overseas Koreans

New agency to handle diaspora-related tasks, policies aimed at supporting overseas Koreans; spreading Korean language, history and culture

(123rf)

The port city of Incheon will house the headquarters for a new state-run agency to provide consolidated administrative support to some 7.5 million people of the South Korean diaspora across the globe. Another office for handling citizen complaints will be set up in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.

Incheon, which has been vying for the host title since last year, in its bid, touted its convenient and easy access to Incheon Airport, the main point of entry or departure to and from the country.

The ministry also explained that the decision was made based on various factors including the city’s accessibility for overseas Koreans and the public’s opinion.

Separately, Seoul will serve as the base for a “one-stop” service center, as per many diaspora Koreans’ strong preference for such a center to be located in the capital city.

The new government body, expected to cost some 50 billion won ($37.8 million), will be launched on June 5 and is the first subministry-level agency created under the Foreign Ministry. The agency will be in charge of diaspora-related tasks and state policies aimed at supporting overseas Koreans.

This means that those emigrating from Korea will need to file for emigration and submit a certificate of tax payment to the new bureau. Those who are willing to start business affairs regarding emigration, such as soliciting emigrants, will have to register with the new body.

The new agency will also deal with projects to promote the promulgation of Korean language, history and culture. It will also manage scholarships for Korean descendants living abroad, among other activities.

Following the upgrade, the agency will replace the Overseas Koreans Foundation headquartered on Jeju Island, which currently oversees diaspora engagement with a budget of 70 billion won in 2022. The new agency will comprise 151 staff members, including one chief and one deputy director.

The agency also plans to allow the printing of certified documents online at a later time, a senior Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said Monday.

Enhancing the government agency for overseas Koreans to connect with their homeland was one of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s campaign pledges in 2022.

In October last year, Yoon said the government will launch a new office dedicated to supporting Koreans overseas. The plan has been fast-tracked, as the ruling and opposition parties in February agreed to set up a government office for people of Korean lineage living abroad.

Currently, the legal definition of “overseas Korean” is outlined in two laws.

A bloodline descendant of an ethnic Korean living in a foreign country, regardless of their nationality, is considered an overseas Korean, according to the Overseas Koreans Foundation Act.

The Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans defines an overseas Korean as a Korean national who has acquired permanent residency in a foreign country, a person who once held Korean nationality or the lineal descendant of someone who once held Korean nationality.

By Park Jun-hee(junheee@heraldcorp.com)