Overseas Koreans Office Headquarters in Incheon... Civil Service Office Split to Seoul (Comprehensive)

Confirmed Incheon as the Starting Point of Korean Immigration History
Integrated Civil Service Office to be Located in Seoul Gwanghwamun

The headquarters of the Overseas Koreans Agency has been confirmed to be located in Incheon, where the history of Korean immigration began. The integrated civil service office, the 'Overseas Korean Service Support Center,' will be separately established in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. The launch date is set for the 5th of next month.

On the 8th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the location was decided considering the convenience and accessibility for overseas Koreans, as well as operational efficiency. Factors such as balanced regional development, the symbolic significance of the location, and the preferences of overseas Koreans were comprehensively taken into account.

The selection of Incheon reflects balanced regional development, consistency in administrative organization, and symbolic significance. Incheon is where Korean immigration began. The first official immigrants departed from Jemulpo Port in Incheon to Hawaii in 1902. The reason for separately locating the 'Overseas Korean Service Support Center' in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, is to provide convenient one-stop administrative services for overseas Koreans, including nationality, visas, military service, taxation, veterans affairs, and pensions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Although there has been a strong desire within the overseas Korean community to establish a dedicated organization to comprehensively formulate and implement policies and projects related to the 7.5 million overseas Koreans, it had not been realized until it was selected as a national agenda item after the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration," emphasizing its significance.

The fact that the headquarters are effectively split between Incheon and Seoul is the result of considering various factors such as regional balance and convenience. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, "It is convenient to be close to the embassy of the nationality country when handling nationality affairs, visas, and overseas migration-related tasks," adding, "Therefore, the support center was established in Gwanghwamun, close to many embassies." However, the Ministry also installed a civil service and consultation office at the Incheon headquarters to ensure administrative services are available in Incheon as well. 24-hour non-face-to-face online and offline services will also be provided.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to finalize the specific location and proceed with the construction of the building. A Ministry official said, "We aim to locate the headquarters as close as possible to Incheon Airport and are also looking for a suitable place in Gwanghwamun," adding, "Even if the opening ceremony is delayed, related services will begin on June 5." The staff quota for the Incheon Overseas Koreans Agency is set at 151, and the support center at 25.

Previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the People Power Party held two party-government meetings to review the selection of the Overseas Koreans Agency location. As of the end of 2020, the countries and populations where our overseas Koreans reside number 193 countries and 7.32 million people, making it the fifth largest in the world after China and India.

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