The Overseas Koreans Agency (OKA) Launches 2nd Phase of the 'National Normalization Project' to Identify Regulatory and Administrative Reform Tasks; Public Submissions Open Until September 4.

Overseas Koreans facing inconveniences, disadvantages, or unpractical systems simply because they live abroad now have a direct channel to voice their grievances and propose institutional improvements.

On August 31, the Overseas Koreans Agency (headed by Commissioner Kim Kyung-hyup) announced that it is accepting proposals for the second phase of the 'National Normalization Project' from global overseas Koreans and domestic citizens through September 4.

Scope of Proposals and How to Apply

The primary targets for proposals include systems and administrative practices that cause inconvenience, impose unfair disadvantages in daily life or domestic and international activities, or fail to reflect current realities.

Any overseas Korean or citizen can submit their ideas via the 'Dialogue with the Commissioner' board on the official website of the Overseas Koreans Agency.

Background & Previous Achievements The National Normalization Project is being implemented pan-governmentally in response to presidential directives issued on March 6, 2026, stating: "We must end the abnormal era where rule-breakers profit while rule-followers suffer losses."

Key 1st Phase Achievements (May 2026):

Pushing projects reflecting the legislative intent of the Sakhalin Koreans Act.
Streamlining local settlement support projects for returning Vietnamese women and their children.
Improving the involuntary dual citizenship system.

Evaluation and Future Roadmap

For this second phase, the agency is actively collecting ideas not only from the general public and overseas Koreans but also from all internal departments and staff members.

The submitted tasks will be comprehensively evaluated for necessity and feasibility by a special task force comprising internal and external experts. Representative tasks will be finalized and submitted to the Office for Government Policy Coordination on September 18.

“There may be regulations that remain invisible to policymakers yet present severe obstacles in the daily lives of our diaspora. We strongly encourage our compatriots to actively propose the irrationalities and inconveniences they have experienced in the field.”

— Kim Kyung-hyup, Commissioner of the Overseas Koreans Agency

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