By Park Ji-won

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Kim Kyung-hyup, commissioner of the Overseas Koreans Agency (OKA), speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at OKA’s Service and Support Center for Overseas Koreans in Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Official pushes for dual citizenship reform, overseas mail-in voting, adoptee rights probe

Once a primary source of emigrants and adoptees due to historical instability, Korea has transformed into one of the most favorable destinations for global migration over the past decades, fueled by robust economic growth and cultural influence.

The overseas Korean population — those of Korean descent or citizenship living abroad — have been steadily growing, reaching about 7 million as of 2025. Of that total, about 4.6 million, or 66 percent, hold foreign citizenship, while the remaining 2.4 million retain Korean nationality.

At the same time, the number of overseas Koreans returning to Korea — including those with stateless status — continues to climb, now accounting for more than 30 percent of the foreign national population in the country.

This represents a shift from departure to homecoming. However, managing the complex legal and social issues surrounding the overseas Korean community remains a formidable challenge for the government, ranging from visa administration to sociocultural integration.

Kim Kyung-hyup, commissioner of the Overseas Koreans Agency (OKA) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wants to meet that challenge head-on. The former three-term lawmaker, who took office in September 2025, sat down with The Korea Times on May 12 — ahead of the agency’s third anniversary on June 5 — to outline his vision for a more inclusive policy framework.

He said Korea needs to be more inclusive in embracing returning Koreans administratively and lawfully, while strengthening support for those residing abroad. He believes that providing such support is not only a fundamental right of overseas Koreans but also a strategic asset for Korea’s long-term growth.

“While there is ongoing debate about opening our borders to general immigration to address the demographic cliff, the reality requires careful consideration of many factors. In contrast, overseas Koreans offer a much smoother path to social integration due to their cultural and emotional ties with Korea,” Kim said.

“Therefore, our primary goal is to implement an inclusive, nondiscriminatory overseas Korean policy that prioritizes the embrace of them as a first step.”

Dual citizenship as demographic tool

Central to Kim’s agenda is a push to lower the age threshold for dual citizenship, a move he frames as both an economic and demographic imperative.

Under the current law, dual nationality is permitted primarily for those aged 65 and older or in limited special categories. Kim argued that extending eligibility to working-age Koreans abroad would help address the country’s population decline while securing new growth engines.

“Lowering the age threshold for dual citizenship would be beneficial to our national economy. Other nations are already actively leveraging the capabilities of their diasporas by operating programs like India’s OCI,” he said, referring to India’s Overseas Citizenship of India system.

“Considering this global trend of utilizing the diaspora as a driver for economic growth, Korea should reconsider its stance on dual citizenship.”

Participants pose together during the 2026 Overseas Korean Adoptees Gathering at Lotte Hotel World in southern Seoul, Monday. The event, which runs through Friday in Seoul and Paju, Gyeonggi Province, brings together 95 adoptees from 12 countries. Courtesy of OKA

Adoptee rights improvement

One immediate test of that inclusive vision begins Monday with the annual Overseas Korean Adoptees Gathering, running through May 22. The event offers cultural programs and official fact-finding opportunities for adoptees seeking to trace their roots.

“This year’s gathering carries particular weight as it brings together established leaders of adoptee organizations with those visiting their homeland for the first time … Notably, this event will involve the National Center for the Rights of the Child and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address and investigate historical allegations of human rights violations during the adoption process, meaning those adoptees can have a window of resolving long-standing issues,” Kim explained.

“There have been numerous allegations regarding human trafficking and illegal adoptions in the past … Alongside the general programs, the event will facilitate fact-finding and evidence-gathering for cases that have already been reported to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.”

He described the gathering as a chance for adoptees to connect with their homeland on a deeper level and to feel that they are not alone, even if they do not physically live in Korea.

“I want them to go home knowing that they have a steadfast pillar of support behind them: their homeland.”