Overseas Koreans press Seoul to fix digital barriers, boost cultural support

Community leaders representing overseas Koreans from East Timor to California urged Seoul Thursday to dismantle identity verification barriers that block diaspora members from basic digital services and to expand cultural infrastructure abroad, in a forum marking the Overseas Koreans Agency's third anniversary.

The demands carry direct relevance for Korean-American communities across Southern California — including San Diego, where the House of Korea participated — as South Korea works to close the service gap with roughly 7 million overseas nationals who increasingly act as cultural ambassadors and economic partners.

Noh Jung-ah, an overseas Korean from Oregon who has lived abroad for 13 years, told the forum that a verification wall was cutting the diaspora off from services taken for granted inside Korea. "When trying to use Korean online shopping malls, we are blocked at the registration step by identity verification requirements. We cannot enjoy Korea's basic digital conveniences — such as hailing taxis, using delivery apps or making reservations — due to this impassable verification wall," she said, according to The Korea Times. Noh added that many overseas Koreans pay year-round to keep a domestic phone number active solely for verification, and called on the government to build a universally accessible system spanning both public and private platforms.

Lee Jae-kwon, head of the Korean Association in East Timor, challenged the direction of South Korea's overseas development spending. "KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) has funded other large-scale projects here, such as a $10 million football stadium and various small business factories. However, these do not seem to effectively enhance Korea's national image. When people here think of football, they think of Portugal, not Korea," he said. "Supporting a Taekwondo academy or a Korean Cultural Center would be far more effective in boosting Korea's brand," Lee added, calling for a cultural center in East Timor.

Lee Yong-hyuk, head of the Korean Association in Cambodia, pressed the government to authorize diplomatic missions to issue international driver's licenses on-site. "If a traffic accident occurs while operating a motorcycle or a car, a standard Korean driver's license is not legally recognized in some countries, leaving individuals highly vulnerable," he said. Kim Dong-ju, an official from the National Police Agency who attended the forum, said the government plans to introduce a local issuance system through diplomatic missions in the second half of 2026, The Korea Times reported.

OKA Commissioner Kim Kyung-hyup framed the diaspora as central to South Korea's global strategy, pledging to expand services. "We are committed to maximizing the capabilities of our 7 million Koreans overseas so that they can fulfill their roles as propagators of 'hallyu,' expanders of our economic territory — including export markets and supply chains — and as civic diplomats driving international cooperation," Kim said.

Kim also acknowledged structural barriers embedded in South Korea's current legal system. "Our health care, welfare and educational frameworks are strictly binary, categorizing individuals solely as either 'citizens' or 'foreigners.' This dichotomy creates significant administrative bottlenecks in executing welfare programs," he said, according to The Korea Times. A pending special act on settlement support for returning overseas Koreans aims to formally codify an administrative category for the diaspora across those frameworks, Kim said.

The Overseas Koreans Agency said it has received 1,438 suggestions and complaints from overseas Koreans since its founding and provided formal responses to approximately 900 of them, according to The Korea Times.