Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Gov’t to proceed with plan for independent immigration agency
Foreign workers who came to Korea through the state-run seasonal worker program smile in Goesan, North Chungcheong Province, Tuesday. Courtesy of Goesan County office
By Jung Min-ho
The Ministry of Justice said it will proceed with plans to establish an independent agency dedicated to overseeing immigration affairs under the new government administration.
The move is a major overhaul of Korea's immigration system, which is currently fragmented across multiple government ministries. A unified agency will centralize everything from visa issuance to border control and integration policies, signaling a shift in how the government approaches a rapidly growing foreign population.
In a statement to The Korea Times on Wednesday, a ministry spokesperson confirmed that the initiative — originally developed under the previous administration — remains a priority, citing growing demand for a dedicated immigration body.
“Considering the need for an organization dedicated to immigration issues, the Ministry of Justice will collaborate with other relevant government ministries to create such an agency in line with the new government’s approach,” the representative said.
The confirmation follows the ministry’s submission of its five-year policy plan to the presidential committee on policy planning on Sunday. The committee is led by Lee Han-joo, a longtime economic advisor to President Lee Jae Myung and former head of the Institute for Democracy, a think tank affiliated with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.
Amid Korea’s ongoing population decline ― the total fertility rate remains the lowest in the world ― immigration experts urged Lee to prioritize the creation of a dedicated government agency during his election campaign. However, the initiative was not included among the policy priorities outlined in his platform.
Meanwhile, at the National Assembly, a group of liberal lawmakers proposed a bill on April 15 to create a ministry-level organization to comprehensively handle all immigration issues. The legislators argued that, in the absence of a dedicated organization, immigration-related issues have been handled inefficiently and inconsistently across different departments.
Experts warn that time is running short for Korea to prepare for the challenges posed by rapid population aging and demographic shifts.
“Immigration will be one of the most critical issues facing Korea for many years to come. This is precisely why the country needs a dedicated organization to ensure policy stability and improvement,” said Jasmine Lee, chair of the Korea Cultural Diversity Organization, an advocacy group promoting diversity.
According to the Korea Immigration Service, the number of foreign residents reached an all-time high of 2.65 million earlier this year, accounting for more than 5.1 percent of the total population ― exceeding prepandemic records.
Statistics Korea projects that the number of residents with migrant roots is expected to increase to 4.04 million by 2042, reflecting a significant demographic transformation.