2024.07.06. The Fair Economy — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Police Agency said on the 5th that they held a signing ceremony for the "Agreement Between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Police Agency to Strengthen Cooperation on Protecting Overseas Koreans" at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
According to the two agencies, the signing of the MOU is part of President Yoon Suk-yeol's top national priority of "taking care of people's livelihoods." The ministry and the police agency shared the view that the safety of overseas Koreans is the foundation for citizens to travel abroad with peace of mind, and pledged government-wide efforts to protect them.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol said, "As more Korean nationals travel abroad following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, while risk factors threatening their safety, such as terrorism and civil war, increase due to an unstable international situation, a unified government effort is needed to protect our citizens overseas."
National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoon Hui-geun also stressed, "I agree that interagency joint response efforts are needed to realize true safety for overseas Koreans. We will fully contribute the police's know-how in handling overseas incidents and accidents, as well as our professional manpower and other capabilities. The ministry and the police agency will also further strengthen cooperation to respond to international crimes."
The MOU not only sets out the cooperative stance of the two ministries for protecting overseas Koreans but also specifies practical cooperation measures, including establishing a hotline between the two agencies, cooperating on training and education programs to strengthen the capabilities of overseas safety personnel, and sharing in advance a reserve list of rapid response team members.
The signing of the MOU carries added significance as it comes ahead of the Paris Olympics. The two agencies plan to dispatch a joint government rapid response team to the Paris Olympics, which is now a month away. The team will be deployed from July 23 to August 12 and plans to set up a temporary consular office in Paris to prepare for incidents and accidents involving Korean citizens that may occur during the Games. The temporary consular office will provide consular assistance to Korean visitors in the event of incidents or accidents, and contribute to the protection of overseas Koreans through close cooperation with local authorities.
The heads of both agencies encouraged the members of the joint rapid response team present at the signing ceremony, urging them to spare no effort in protecting Korean nationals during the event.
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