New Head of Immigration and Foreign Policy Bureau at Ministry of Justice Appointed: Bae Sang-eop

The Ministry of Justice announced on the 16th that Bae Sang-eop (57), the head of the Seoul Immigration Office, has been appointed as the new head of the Immigration and Foreigners Policy Headquarters.

Head Bae passed the 2000 civil service examination and entered public service. He has served as the Director of Immigration Planning at the Ministry of Justice, the head of the Incheon Immigration Office, and the Director of Immigration Policy at the Ministry of Justice.

Bae Sang-eop, newly appointed Director of the Immigration and Foreigners Policy Headquarters at the Ministry of Justice. [Image source = Ministry of Justice]

This is the second time an internal official has been appointed as the head of the Immigration and Foreigners Policy Headquarters since the establishment of the Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice in 1970, following the previous head, Lee Jae-yu. Until now, the position was mainly held by prosecutors at the level of chief prosecutor, and occasionally external lawyers were appointed.

The head of the Immigration and Foreigners Policy Headquarters is a senior executive service position at grade A (equivalent to a director-level position in central government ministries). The Ministry of Justice stated, “We expect Head Bae to strictly implement immigration and stay management policies based on his diverse field experience and extensive expertise, and to promote improvements to the visa system that consider the demands of industrial sites and local communities.”