South Korea will launch a new government agency in the western city of Incheon early next month to provide various forms of support to some 7.5 million Koreans residing overseas, the foreign ministry said Monday.
The agency will be based in Incheon, some 30 kilometers west of Seoul, with a separate branch office offering supplementary administrative services to also be set up in central Seoul for better access within the capital, the ministry said in a press release.
A ministry official said the government decided to set up the Seoul office in the Gwangwhamun area, as around 5 million overseas Koreans are foreign nationality holders and many embassies are located in and around the neighborhood.
The organization will be established under the foreign ministry to provide a "one-stop" integrated service in various areas, ranging from visas to tax and pension, that were previously handled by separate government bodies.
Overseas Koreans will no longer need to "go around" to seek services at different locations, the official said.
The ministry plans to open the agency on June 5 with a total of 151 employees. Of those, 25 will be working at the Seoul office.
In March, President Yoon Suk Yeol signed a bill promulgating a revision to the Government Organization Act, under which the agency was to be created to replace the Overseas Koreans Foundation.
Source: Yonhap News Agency