(C) Overseas Koreans Agency  

On December 18, 82 Sakhalin Koreans and their descendants—who were unable to return to their homeland after being forcibly relocated to Sakhalin during the Japanese colonial period—finally stepped onto South Korean soil.

This arrival marks the first group to return among the 234 individuals selected as beneficiaries for the 2025 Sakhalin Koreans Permanent Return, Settlement, and Living Stability Support program. The returnees departed from Sakhalin and boarded a ferry at Vladivostok Port, Russia, on the 17th, arriving at the Donghae Port International Passenger Terminal in Gangwon-do on the afternoon of the 18th.

The occasion was made even more meaningful by the return of the eldest member of the group, 85-year-old Mr. Kim Dong-hi, who arrived accompanied by his children after a long wait.

The Overseas Koreans Agency (OKA, Commissioner Kim Kyoung-hyup) and the Korean Red Cross (Acting President Kim Hong-kook), which co-manage the permanent return project, held a welcoming ceremony at the Donghae Port International Passenger Terminal. The ceremony was attended by OKA Commissioner Kim Kyoung-hyup, Korean Red Cross Director Heo Jung-gu, and other Sakhalin Koreans who had previously returned and settled in Korea.

Commissioner Kim Kyoung-hyup personally greeted Mr. Kim Dong-hi at the disembarkation point and, along with Director Heo Jung-gu, escorted him to the ceremony hall to express his warm welcome. Following the ceremony, the returnees traveled by bus to various settlement locations across the country.

Under the "Special Act on Support for Sakhalin Koreans," the OKA and the Korean Red Cross provide support for the permanent return and domestic settlement of Sakhalin Koreans and their accompanying family members. In collaboration with relevant agencies—including the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH)—they offer systematic support throughout the entire process, from arrival to settlement and long-term stability.

The returnees will be provided with necessary procedures in sequence, including group contracts for rental housing, applications for nationality determination, and health screenings. Meanwhile, since the permanent return support project began in 1992, a total of 5,690 Sakhalin Koreans, including this latest group, have returned to their homeland.

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