The foreign ministry has expressed its support for President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol’s pledge to create a separate government body focused on Koreans overseas. 

In a media briefing on Tuesday, ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam relayed the stance over installing a new office to comprehensively and systematically assist overseas Koreans. 

The spokesperson said the ministry expects the new agency will enhance the efficiency of services provided for overseas Koreans by integrating related services currently scattered across several agencies. 

Currently, policies and administrative work for overseas Koreans are carried out by various government organizations, including the foreign ministry, justice ministry, education ministry, the Military Manpower Administration, and the National Tax Service. 

Yoon had pledged during his presidential campaign to create an apparatus that would absorb the Overseas Koreans Foundation under the foreign ministry and be placed as an external organization.