History lecturer named honorary ambassador of Overseas Koreans Agency
Choi Tae-sung holds a bouquet of flowers during a ceremony held to promote his appointment as an honorary ambassador of the Overseas Koreans Agency at its headquarters in Incheon, Tuesday. Courtesy of Overseas Koreans Agency
Choi Tae-sung, a prominent lecturer on Korean history, has been appointed the first honorary ambassador of the Overseas Koreans Agency, a government body that supports members of the global Korean diaspora.
The agency said Tuesday that Choi, 53, will help advance its mission of providing administrative services to Koreans living abroad, safeguarding their rights and strengthening their ties to the homeland.
The Overseas Koreans Agency is a government body established last year to succeed the Overseas Koreans Foundation. With an expanded mandate, the agency now provides comprehensive administrative services, advocates for the rights of 7.5 million Koreans living abroad and works to deepen their connections to Korea.
This is the first time the agency has appointed an honorary ambassador since being founded in June 2024 under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“As an instructor, Choi has played a big role in teaching the history of Korean immigration to other countries and their contributions to their home country through fun and entertaining lectures,” the agency said in a statement.
Choi thanked the agency for the appointment and said he would do his utmost over the next year to help bridge the gap between Koreans at home and abroad.
“I was surprised to learn that many of those running the Korean language schools overseas are ethnic Koreans from here,” Choi said. “That’s when I started thinking deeply about their dedication and sacrifice.”
He noted that a “wall” seems to exist between Koreans living here and those abroad.
“Over the next year as an ambassador, I will do my best to overcome that wall and create more opportunities for them to understand each other more,” he said.
Choi, a former high school teacher, has been working as a Korean history lecturer at the Korean Educational Broadcasting System for about 23 years. He is the author of many books and study guides, including textbook series for the Korean History Proficiency Test, which was included in the bestseller list on Yes24, a major online book retailer.