The Overseas Koreans Agency, which was elevated last June from the former Overseas Koreans Foundation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is working to establish overseas envoy positions in the field of overseas Koreans starting next year.

At a comprehensive National Assembly audit by the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on the 24th, Overseas Koreans Agency Commissioner Lee Sang-deok responded to Democratic Party Representative Cho Jung-sik's question about sending personnel overseas, stating, "We are continuously consulting with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure quotas for envoy positions.”

He added, "We have agreed to dispatch full-time employees to meet operational demand, though we have yet to secure a budget for the next year, so we request assistance in securing an increased budget from the National Assembly."

During its time as the Overseas Koreans Foundation, seven envoys in charge of Korean communities were deployed to overseas diplomatic offices in Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, Almaty (Kazakhstan), Sydney (Australia), and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) to enhance connections with the Korean community and efficiently execute projects and government policies.

However, with the launch of the new agency, no additional envoys were dispatched after the previous envoys completed their terms, leaving the positions vacant due to budget constraints.

The Overseas Koreans Agency expressed that it is actively considering the deployment of dedicated personnel to countries with large populations of overseas Koreans as a priority.