Incheon is working on hosting an Overseas Koreans Agency. What would be the justification and Incheon’s competitiveness for such move?
○ An Overseas Koreans Agency is a new government agency to overtake the functions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs related to overseas Koreans affairs which will facilitate cooperation and exchanges with Korean communities abroad, boost the network with them and promote education programs for the next-generation overseas Koreans as well as cultural programs. Incheon is the most optimal place to host this agency in terms of user convenience and historically symbolic significance.
○ First, among all cities in Korea, Incheon is where people from all over the world can reach in the shortest time through the Incheon International Airport. The city also has the metropolitan transportation network connected to the capital region and each part of the country while serving as a gateway to neighboring countries in East Asia such as China and Japan. Given all these aspects, there is no better place than Incheon to host the agency.
○ In addition, Incheon is where the first wave of Korean emigrants departed in 1902 and has preserved tangible and intangible assets to commemorate the emigration history of the Republic of Korea. Having an authority for overseas Koreans in Incheon would add a symbolic meaning as the city demonstrates the root and pride of all overseas Koreans.
○ Starting with the Association of Korean Residents in Europe in November 2022, we have received the support and endorsement of Korean communities abroad such as the Association of Korean Cultural Centers of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Korean communities in Hawaii, which proves Incheon is the best location for an Overseas Koreans Agency.