Incheon City Implements the Nation's First 'Overseas Korean Support Ordinance'... Welcome Center to Open in June Next Year

Incheon City has become the first local government in the country to establish a legal basis for supporting overseas Koreans and strengthening networks. The city announced that the 'Ordinance on Cooperation for Supporting Overseas Koreans' was amended and approved at the 291st regular session of the city council and was promulgated and enforced on the 29th.

With the enforcement of the ordinance, Incheon City must prepare a basic plan for supporting and cooperating with overseas Koreans every five years and also establish annual implementation plans. Additionally, the city can develop systems and policies to improve the treatment of overseas Koreans and promote investment briefing sessions or identity cultivation projects for overseas Koreans.

Notably, the ordinance includes the basis for establishing and operating the 'Welcome Center,' a one-stop service support institution for overseas Koreans that Incheon City is preparing to set up. The city plans to create the Welcome Center equipped with a multipurpose shared office, conference rooms, and counseling rooms to operate educational and cultural programs involving overseas Koreans and Incheon citizens.

The Welcome Center will be established on the 30th floor of the Songdo Booyoung Tower, covering an area of 1,000㎡. Design and construction will begin in January next year, with the center scheduled to open in June. The city aims to open the Welcome Center to coincide with the first anniversary of the opening of the Overseas Koreans Office under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok is taking a commemorative photo with attending guests at the opening ceremony of the Overseas Koreans Office held at Central Park UN Square on June 5, 2023. Photo by Incheon City

Previously, Incheon leveraged its historical significance as the starting point of Korean immigration history and its accessibility through Incheon International Airport to attract the Overseas Koreans Office in May. The Overseas Koreans Office, which oversees policies and projects related to overseas Koreans, opened its doors in June at the Songdo Booyoung Tower.

Mayor Yoo Jung-bok of Incheon said, "Since the enactment of the Overseas Koreans Basic Act in May this year, we have established the first ordinance for supporting and cooperating with overseas Koreans among local governments nationwide. We will create a friendly environment for overseas Koreans and strengthen networks to develop Incheon as a hub city for overseas Koreans."

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