Koreans like to live abroad as well as in their home country. As of last year, 7 million Koreans were living overseas, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, about 15 percent of all Koreans. This percentage is quite high given that about 35 million out of 1 billion Chinese people live overseas.
In addition, the number of overseas Koreans has been rising from 6.3 million in 2003 to 6.6 million in 2005 and 7 million in 2007.
Out of the seven million overseas Koreans, 3 million are still legally Korean nationals.
To meet increasing demands from overseas Korean citizens, the ministry has devised four main policy directions in 2008.
First, the government will create measures to maximize support for Korean citizens living abroad while seeking to make use of them for Korea's national interest in the international community.
The government has only recently come to understand the need to support overseas Koreans, realizing their positive effect in their countries of residence in improving Korea's image.
Secondly, the government will also focus on improving welfare and rights of overseas Koreans. For example, the government will closely watch and indirectly support their suffrage and political power in local and central governments.
One of the issues under discussion to help protect and attract skilled overseas Koreans is dual nationality. However, the government has not yet decided whether to allow it.
Under the nationality law, Koreans can enjoy the dual nationality until they turn 22. Because of the regulation, some Koreans chose to give up their Korean nationality.
Thirdly, the government will suggest new kinds of support for overseas Koreans in order to help them establish identity as Koreans by assisting or organizing classes on Korean language or culture. The government will also form firmer networking systems between overseas Koreans and Korea.
Finally, the government will expand the annual festival for overseas Koreans, dubbed ``Korean Day,'' which took place Oct. 5, 2007 for the first time. President-elect Lee Myung-bak has pledged to organize a Korean culture expo to establish a worldwide Korean network since he began his presidential campaign.
``The culture expo will likely become the main part of the Korean Day. We will present a seminar for overseas Koreans, a music concert, photo exhibition and various other cultural events,'' said Lee Yoon, deputy director-general of the ministry's Overseas Koreans Bureau.
The 2nd Korean Day is scheduled for Oct. 5
Suffrage
One of the most striking policies to be introduced this year is that the Korean government will allow overseas Koreans, who maintain Korean nationality, to vote in their countries of residence.
Last year, the Constitutional Court ruled the elections law (which does not provide any service for overseas Koreans to vote) unconstitutional and ordered the revision of the law by the end of this year.
Scores of revision bills have already been submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and nine out of them contain ways of enabling overseas Koreans to vote. They may have the right as early as in the second half of this year or next year.
``If the National Assembly passes the revision bill in the first half of this year, overseas Koreans will likely be able to vote in the second half of 2008,'' Lee said. ``If lawmakers pass the bill in the second of half of the year, overseas Koreans will be able to vote starting next year.'' However, the government has not decided how to let overseas Koreans vote ― whether by visiting a ballot box or by mail, or a combination of the two depending on the voters' situation. Thus, Lee said overseas Koreans will not be able to vote in the upcoming general elections slated for April 9.
Overseas Koreans, particularly in the United States and Japan, have long demanded the government provides service for them to vote.
Dual Nationality
Korea basically bans dual nationality because of concerns that people may dodge mandatory military service and avoid paying tax. In fact, the introduction of dual nationality was the last thing the Korean government considered in the past.
However, the government's attitude over this has changed recently in the face of increasing worries that talented people give up their Korean nationality due to the strict regulation.
``We're considering allowing excellent professionals to maintain dual nationality with restrictive rules so that we can prevent talented Koreans from changing their nationality,'' Lee said.
Lee further said that overseas Koreans, particularly in the United States, have long demanded dual nationality as the United States de facto allows it.
But he made clear that a revision of the Nationality Law will not be made in the near future since it requires public consensus.
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