Incheon City Goes All Out to Attract Overseas Koreans Office... "Advantages of Access to International Airport and Incheon Port"

Passage of Bill to Establish Overseas Koreans Office in National Assembly... Launch Expected Around June This Year
Support for Hosting in Incheon from European Korean Associations and Uzbek Goryeo-in Association

Incheon City is making every effort to attract the Overseas Koreans Office, which is expected to be launched as early as June this year.

The city announced on the 2nd that it plans to accelerate efforts to attract the Overseas Koreans Office following the passage of the "Government Organization Act Amendment," which includes the establishment of the Overseas Koreans Office under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the National Assembly on the 27th of last month.

Once the amendment is approved by the State Council and promulgated, it will be implemented after a three-month grace period, during which the government will decide the location of the Overseas Koreans Office.

Currently, Incheon, Gwangju, and Ansan City in Gyeonggi Province are competing to host the office, with Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok actively leading the efforts by garnering support from various Korean community organizations, making Incheon the most proactive among local governments.

Mayor Yoo first expressed his intention to attract the Overseas Koreans Office to Incheon during a meeting with Korean residents in Australia last September and has since maintained an extensive campaign over the past five months. In October last year, he attended the World Korean Association Presidents' Conference held in Incheon, emphasizing the necessity of locating the Overseas Koreans Office in Incheon, and requested cooperation from key officials including the Ministers of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and members of the National Assembly.

Furthermore, during recent consecutive overseas trips, he successfully secured support for Incheon’s bid from the Korean Federation in Europe, the Korean Association in Uzbekistan, and Korean American organizations in Hawaii.

Incheon City highlights its international airport and port within the region as advantages for convenient entry and exit for overseas Koreans. In fact, Korean residents hope that the Overseas Koreans Office will be established in an easily accessible area, and a resolution urging the establishment of the office in the metropolitan area was adopted at last year’s World Korean Association Presidents' Conference.

In addition, Incheon emphasizes its historical significance as the starting point of modern immigration to Hawaii, portraying itself as the root and partner city of overseas Koreans. The city explains that it is highly symbolic that a dedicated organization to welcome and support overseas Koreans will be established in Incheon (Jemulpo Port), which saw off overseas Koreans 120 years ago.

Possessing the largest economic free zone in Korea, Incheon also supports its argument as the optimal location for the Overseas Koreans Office by offering excellent living conditions (such as Songdo American Town and Global Campus) and investment conditions for overseas Koreans.

Incheon City aims to utilize the Overseas Koreans Office not only as a central administrative agency but also as a strategic hub for national investment attraction through the overseas Korean network.

By promoting the "New Hong Kong City Project" leveraging the network of 7.3 million overseas Koreans, the city expects to contribute to national economic growth by generating investment from overseas Koreans as well as regional development. This project, a key pledge of the 8th local government administration, involves establishing a global financial hub linking Yeongjongdo, the southern part of Ganghwa Island, Songdo, Cheongna, and the metropolitan landfill site.

The citizens’ desire to attract the Overseas Koreans Office to Incheon continues to grow. The Incheon City Federation, which has 210,000 citizen members, and other local communities support the bid, and the Incheon City Council has also expressed active cooperation through a resolution of support.

The city plans to devote all efforts to fostering a favorable atmosphere for Incheon’s bid by rallying civic support and conducting external publicity until the location of the Overseas Koreans Office is decided.

Mayor Yoo stated, "Since the dedicated organization for overseas Koreans must prioritize the convenience and opinions of the policy beneficiaries, the overseas Koreans, it is only right that the Overseas Koreans Office be established in Incheon, which is most preferred by overseas Koreans." He emphasized, "We will concentrate all our capabilities on attracting the Overseas Koreans Office, reflecting the hopes of Incheon’s civil society and overseas Koreans."