Do Je-hae edits news stories as part of the AI team.
Former lawmaker named head of Overseas Koreans Foundation
Kim Sung-kon, president of Overseas Koreans Foundation / Korea Times file
By Do Je-hae
By Do Je-hae
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has named former four-term lawmaker Kim Sung-kon as president of the Overseas Koreans Foundation.
“Kim served in the 15th, 17th, 18th and 19th National Assemblies, and during his terms, he was actively engaged in efforts to advance policies for overseas Koreans,” the ministry said in a statement, Monday. In 2005, the 68-year-old led a taskforce for the Uri Party, a precursor of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), on policies for overseas Koreans.
“The overseas Korean communities are undergoing huge transformations. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought on the need for closer cooperation and solidarity between overseas Korean communities and their mother country. We expect that Kim will be able to make considerable contributions as a person who has extensive experience with relevant policies,” the ministry said.
Kim replaces Han Sung-woo, a former reporter for the U.S. edition of the Hankook Ilbo and the first Korean American to be appointed to the post. Kim will serve for three years.
During the 19th Assembly inaugurated in 2012, he served on the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee. In the 17th Assembly, he was the chairman of the National Defense Committee. In 2007, he served as a member of the Uri Party's Supreme Council.
After four terms as a lawmaker, he was named secretary-general of the National Assembly Secretariat in 2018. Kim has a bachelor's degree in Korean history from Korea University and a Ph.D. in religious studies from Temple University in the U.S. He was appointed chair professor at Yongin University in 2017.
Founded in 1997, the foundation is affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It has undertaken various projects to help overseas Koreans and increase their understanding of their home country through visiting programs and scholarships for students. The foundation also runs the portal
providing comprehensive information for overseas Koreans.