Budget of 136.9 billion won marks 21.4% rise from this year

25.5 billion won earmarked for Korean-language schools

[Yonhap]
[Yonhap]

The Overseas Koreans Agency has proposed a budget of 136.9 billion won ($100 million) for next year — the largest increase since the agency was established in 2023 — representing a 21.4 percent rise from this year's allocation.

Agency Commissioner Kim Kyong-hyop announced the proposal at a briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, saying the budget was designed to address key concerns raised by overseas Korean communities and to advance an "inclusive overseas Korean policy free of discrimination."

Reflecting the results of a comprehensive survey of overseas Korean grievances conducted for the first time this year, the proposed budget sets aside 25.5 billion won to strengthen Korean-language schools and 4.5 billion won to invigorate overseas Korean organizations.

Some 3.4 billion won has been allocated to build a new integrated digital platform for overseas Koreans, combining civil petition services, two-way communication and community functions. The budget for the permanent return and resettlement of Sakhalin Koreans stands at 13.6 billion won, a 70 percent increase from this year. The agency plans to support all Sakhalin Koreans who wish to return to their homeland before the current administration's term ends.

In addition, 700 million won has been newly allocated to survey the living conditions of the 860,000 foreign-nationality ethnic Koreans residing in South Korea, and 300 million won for a domestic internship program for overseas Korean youth — measures aimed at strengthening the policy foundation for Koreans returning home.

However, Kim estimated that a total increase of around 68 billion won would be needed to fundamentally resolve the concerns of overseas Koreans, expressing regret that "the unceasing demand for on-the-ground services has not been sufficiently reflected in the budget proposal."


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