"Best Location for Overseas Koreans Office is Incheon"… Uzbek Goryeo-in Association Declares Support for Incheon

Victor Park, Chairman of the Goryeo-in Association (left), and Lee Haeng-sook, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Welfare of Incheon, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing a Memorandum of Understanding for mutual cooperation to attract the Overseas Koreans Office to Incheon.
[Photo by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The Koryo-saram in Uzbekistan, the country with the largest Koryo-saram population, have expressed support for locating the Ministry of Overseas Koreans in Incheon.

Incheon City announced that on the 17th (local time), while Lee Haengsuk, the Deputy Mayor for Culture and Welfare of Incheon, was visiting Uzbekistan, a Memorandum of Understanding for mutual cooperation to attract the Ministry of Overseas Koreans to Incheon was signed in Tashkent with the Central Koryo-saram Cultural Association of Uzbekistan.

According to the agreement, the Koryo-saram Cultural Association will cooperate with Incheon City to support the Korean government's efforts to locate the Ministry of Overseas Koreans in Incheon and to establish a Koryo-saram History Museum in Uzbekistan.

The Koryo-saram Association declared its support for the Ministry of Overseas Koreans’ relocation to Incheon, citing Incheon’s competitiveness as the historical starting point of modern immigration, related assets, economic free zones, and a diaspora-friendly environment with excellent accessibility, making it the most suitable city for hosting the Ministry.

Viktor Park, President of the Koryo-saram Association and Deputy Speaker of the Uzbekistan Parliament’s Lower House, said, "We are pleased with Incheon City’s interest and willingness to support the Koryo-saram," and promised, "We will actively cooperate with Incheon City to attract the Ministry of Overseas Koreans."

Since the forced relocation of Koryo-saram to Central Asia in 1937, the number of Koryo-saram living in Uzbekistan reached approximately 175,800 as of the end of 2020, the largest population in Central Asia.

The Koryo-saram Association is the official Korean organization in Uzbekistan representing the community of about 180,000 Koryo-saram, who take pride in being descendants of independence activists.

Established in 1991 to preserve and develop the traditions and customs of the Koryo-saram in Uzbekistan, the association has 22 branches and is engaged in cultural and educational projects as well as promoting exchanges between Korea and Uzbekistan.

An Incheon City official stated, "Incheon has Hambak Village, where more than 6,000 Koryo-saram reside, creating a deep connection with the Koryo-saram community," and added, "The support of the Koryo-saram, pioneers of overseas Korean migration, will be a great strength in attracting the Ministry of Overseas Koreans to Incheon."

Our government finalized a government organization reform plan last October, which includes establishing the Ministry of Overseas Koreans and abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

According to this plan, the Ministry of Overseas Koreans will provide functions previously performed by the Overseas Koreans Foundation, such as overseas Korean exchange cooperation and next-generation education, as well as civil service tasks currently divided among various ministries, through inter-ministerial collaboration.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.