[Overseas Koreans Agency Target] Cheonan "Geographical Advantage and Historical Strength"

Civic groups and citizens in the Cheonan area have rolled up their sleeves to attract the Overseas Koreans Office.

The Overseas Koreans Office is scheduled to be newly established under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will take over the functions previously performed by the Overseas Koreans Foundation located in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, such as overseas Korean exchange cooperation, network activation, and next-generation Korean education.

Currently, Incheon, Gwangju, Jeju Island, including Cheonan, are engaged in efforts to attract the Overseas Koreans Office.

It is difficult to say that Cheonan's attraction efforts were faster compared to other cities and provinces. Considering that quick political response in advance is important to attract central administrative agencies, it is also true that Cheonan's efforts were somewhat delayed compared to other cities and provinces.

However, Cheonan is actively promoting the attraction of the Overseas Koreans Office by emphasizing its current geographical advantages and historical significance.

Chairman Kang Dong-bok (fifth from the left) of the Overseas Koreans Agency Cheonan Attraction Promotion Committee recently held a press conference at Cheonan City Hall to explain the necessity of attracting the Overseas Koreans Agency to Cheonan. Photo by Kang Dong-bok

Recently, the Cheonan Promotion Committee for Attracting the Overseas Koreans Office (hereinafter referred to as the Promotion Committee) held a press conference at Cheonan City Hall to emphasize the justification for attracting the Overseas Koreans Office to Cheonan.

Kang Dong-bok, chairman of the Promotion Committee and former member of the Chungnam Provincial Assembly, said, “Cheonan is considered the most suitable area for attracting the Overseas Koreans Office when considering its geographical location, transportation convenience, and historical significance.”

First, Cheonan has a well-connected transportation network, being one hour away from both Incheon Airport and Cheongju Airport, and accessible within two hours from anywhere in the country. This means that overseas Koreans will have convenient access when traveling to and from Cheonan to use the Overseas Koreans Office.

He added, “Cheonan is the hometown of patriotic martyrs who fiercely resisted foreign forces during modern history and the Japanese colonial period. It is home to the ‘Hill of Longing,’ where over 5,300 overseas Koreans from 21 countries rest in peace, and the ‘Independence Hall,’ a sacred site of the nation. Above all, considering that Cheonan produced patriots such as Lee Dong-nyeong and Jo Byeong-ok, who fought for independence overseas, Cheonan is the optimal location for the Overseas Koreans Office in terms of identity.”

Chairman Kang also said, “Together with 700,000 Cheonan citizens, we will unite the capabilities of local civic groups and political circles to attract the Overseas Koreans Office to Cheonan.”

Meanwhile, the Promotion Committee is composed of civic groups within Chungnam and Cheonan, local politicians from both ruling and opposition parties, and religious leaders.

The Promotion Committee plans to expand participation institutions and organizations to promote the attraction of the Overseas Koreans Office to Cheonan and spread the effort as a citywide movement. Since the 3rd, they have started a petition campaign to collect 100,000 signatures for attracting the Overseas Koreans Office to Cheonan, and on the 24th, they plan to hold a bipartisan policy forum at the National Assembly for the same purpose.

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