1. On July 12, chairman Lee Su-hoon and other advisers on the subcommittee on foreign affairs and security under the presidential advisory committee on statecraft and planning visited the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Call Center, which handles matters related to incidents and accidents nationals of the Republic of Korea could be subjected to overseas. During the visit, they offered words of encouragement to the personnel of the Center and discussed with Ambassador for Overseas Koreans and Consular Affairs Han Dong-man ways to better protect overseas Koreans.

2. The delegates from the advisory committee on statecraft and planning were briefed on issues caused by changes in the conditions related to the protection of overseas Koreans at a time when an annual 20 million Koreans are traveling abroad. Among the changes brought up in the briefing were the rapid increase in the number of incidents and accidents involving overseas Koreans; the growth in small-scale, home-grown terrorism and other new threats as well as the growing number of crises and accidents overseas; and the remarkably higher expectations of the public regarding consular services. They stressed that the new ROK government should focus on better ensuring the safety of overseas Koreans as one of its main diplomatic policy tasks.

° As of the end of the year 2016, the number of Korean travelers overseas stood at 22 million, a four-fold increase from that in 2000, with 14,500 Koreans involved in incidents and accidents overseas.

3. The advisory committee commended the personnel of the Consular Call Center for handling the aftermaths of crises overseas -- a daily 40-odd incidents and accidents as well as terrorist attacks and disasters -- in cooperation with the 178 overseas diplomatic missions of the ROK and thereby serving as a safety guide for overseas Koreans, and for the Consular Call Center being chosen as an outstanding call center in May 2017 for the 12th consecutive year in the public agencies’ call center category of the Korean Service Quality Index (KSQI) compiled by the Korea Management Association (KMA).

° On a related note, the Foreign Ministry plans to open a 24/7 center for the protection of overseas Koreans to handle the aftermaths of terrorist attacks and disasters as well as other incidents and accidents overseas. By doing so, it seeks to thoroughly fulfill the commitment of the new government and the President to better protect overseas Koreans.


* unofficial translation