OKA News
The Overseas Koreans Agency has begun to improve civil services for overseas Koreans. First, in cooperation with the Road Traffic Authority, the OKA simplified the driver’s license renewal and reissue service process for overseas Koreans applying to embassies abroad and lowered the fees. The time required for work carried out through overseas embassies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Road Traffic Authority (Western Driver’s License Test Center) has been reduced from a period of four to eight weeks to a period of two to four weeks. This is because the procedures were simplified as the Road Traffic Authority dispatched employees to the OKA. The driver’s license issuance fee was also reduced from $14 to $10. In consultation with the National Court Administration, the fee for family relationship certificates issued by diplomatic missions abroad was lowered from $1.50 to $1.00. The OKA began applying the improved service on Jan. 1, 2024. The OKA, which was launched on June 5 last year, now operates the Overseas Korean Service Support Center in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, which integrates and handles various civil complaints to improve civil service. The center provides “one-stop” administrative services, such as nationality, military service, apostille (certificate issuance), overseas migration and family relationship verification. Civil service functions related to taxation, health insurance, national pension, driver’s license, veterans affairs and employment have been added as well. “We will continue to work closely with government ministries and public institutions to improve various services for overseas Koreans,” an OKA official said.