Local opposition is growing in Incheon after the government announced a plan to relocate the Overseas Koreans Agency—newly established in Incheon's Songdo International City in 2023—to another region about three years later.

Twenty-nine civic groups in Incheon, including the Incheon Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice and the Incheon Civil Coalition, announced today (November 3) that they have submitted a petition to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety urging the withdrawal of the plan to relocate the agency to Sejong.

The groups stated, "The government's relocation plan, which denies and undermines the procedural legitimacy of establishing the Overseas Koreans Agency in Incheon, must be withdrawn." They added, "The government must consider the earnest demands of overseas Koreans who longed for the agency's establishment and the legitimate arguments of Incheon's three million citizens who campaigned to host it."

They further demanded, "Incheon's political circles should also join the pan-citizen movement involving the ruling and opposition parties, citizens, and the government to defend Incheon-based public institutions, including the Overseas Koreans Agency," adding that they will launch a large-scale pan-citizen movement backed by the local community.

The Overseas Koreans Agency, an affiliate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that oversees policies and projects related to overseas Koreans, opened in Songdo International City, Incheon, in June 2023 after fierce competition among cities such as Incheon, Gwangju, and Jeju.

South Korea's first official emigration began during the Korean Empire period in 1902, when 102 Koreans departed from Jemulpo Port in Incheon and arrived at the Port of Honolulu in Hawaii, USA.

Incheon successfully hosted the Overseas Koreans Agency by highlighting this historical significance and its geographical advantage, allowing overseas Koreans from around the world to easily access the city via Incheon International Airport.

Controversy arose after Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae stated that "Incheon will not suffer any disadvantages" immediately following the announcement of the plan to relocate the agency to another region—secured with great difficulty during the term of the previous mayor—only about three years after its opening.

(Photo: Yonhap News)