[Metro24] Incheon Takes the Lead in Hosting the Jaewoe Dongpo Cheong

Photo by Hye-sook Park

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City is moving swiftly to attract the newly established Ministry of Overseas Koreans, which will be created under the government organization restructuring plan. Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok recently visited Korean associations during two overseas business trips, garnering support and securing strong backing from outside.

The Federation of Korean Associations in Europe, representing 25 European countries and 300,000 members, and 13 Korean-American organizations in Hawaii declared their support, stating that Incheon is the optimal location for the Ministry of Overseas Koreans. The Korean Association of Uzbekistan, the official Korean organization representing the community of about 180,000 Koryo-saram, also signed an agreement to support Incheon City.

Rather than merely requesting cooperation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs domestically, the mayor’s broad outreach to overseas Koreans, the direct stakeholders, to explain the necessity of locating the ministry in Incheon has created a tense atmosphere among competing cities such as Daejeon, Jeju, Gwangju, and Ansan in Gyeonggi Province.

Incheon, with its international airport and cruise terminal, boasts the greatest convenience for overseas Koreans entering and leaving the country. While other regions require special trips, establishing the Ministry of Overseas Koreans in Incheon would significantly save travel routes and time.

Additionally, Incheon holds historical significance as the starting point of modern immigration. This can be sufficiently appealing as a city that is both the root and companion of overseas Koreans. Above all, Incheon City aspires to utilize the Ministry of Overseas Koreans not only as a central administrative agency but also as a strategic hub for national investment attraction through overseas Korean networks.

However, there are concerns from Incheon’s perspective. Competing cities are voicing that the Ministry of Overseas Koreans should be located outside the metropolitan area to promote national balanced development. A local council in Daejeon argues that considering the national balanced development policy and the side effects of overpopulation in the metropolitan area, the ministry should be located in Daejeon. They even claim that since 'agency-level' administrative bodies are housed in the government complex in Daejeon, the Ministry of Overseas Koreans should follow suit.

Jeju City also expressed dissatisfaction, stating that since the Overseas Koreans Foundation, a public institution under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was relocated there with difficulty in 2018, it cannot accept the Ministry of Overseas Koreans being newly established in another city and absorbing the foundation.

Of course, Article 18 of the Special Act on National Balanced Development stipulates that public institutions should prioritize locations outside the metropolitan area, but ‘central administrative agencies and their affiliated organizations are excluded.’ The Ministry of Overseas Koreans, as an external agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, falls under this exception. Attention is focused on whether Incheon City, citing this legal provision, will be able to attract the Ministry of Overseas Koreans as it hopes.