MOJ and National Assembly Launch Legal Push to Attract and Retain Global Talent

In response to the population crisis driven by an ultra-low birthrate and an aging population, as well as intensifying global competition for technological leadership, the Ministry of Justice and the National Assembly have begun work on legislation to attract and retain global talent.

The Ministry of Justice, led by Minister Jung Sung-ho, jointly held a policy forum with the offices of National Assembly members Lee Sung-yoon, Seo Young-kyo and Park Kyun-taek at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, in Seminar Room 2 of the National Assembly Members' Office Building. The forum was titled “Developing Global Talent and Improving Settlement Conditions.”

The forum was organized to discuss the legal and institutional foundation needed to support “attracting global talent” and “settlement support for overseas Koreans,” two key tasks in the “2030 Future Strategy for Immigration Policy (March 2026)” announced by the Ministry of Justice's Korea Immigration Service, with the goal of securing sustainable growth engines for Korea.

In March 2026, lawmaker Lee Sung-yoon sponsored an amendment to the Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners Residing in the Republic of Korea. Its main provisions concern developing global talent and supporting settlement conditions to revitalize the economy, as well as supporting the settlement of overseas Koreans and their families.

At the forum, professors Im Dong-jin of Soonchunhyang University, Yoon In-jin of Korea University and Ra Hwi-moon of Sungkyul University chaired sessions. Experts from academia and research institutions gave presentations and held discussions on “Session 1: Measures to Attract and Develop Global Talent and Improve Settlement Conditions” and “Session 2: Support for the Settlement of Talented Overseas Koreans in Korea and Measures to Strengthen Social Integration.”

In Session 1, Professor Lee Jong-kwan of Yonsei University's Department of Economics said that attracting global talent and immigration policy are closely connected. He proposed strategies including attracting talented international students and encouraging them to settle, as well as substantial tax reductions for talented people. Professor Choi Chang-yong of Seoul National University's Graduate School of Public Administration called for a “qualitative shift” in strategies to attract talented international students. He proposed concentrating on talent in science, engineering and advanced fields while building regional policies to reduce concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area.

In Session 2, Professor Hwang Myung-ho of the AI Graduate School at Seoul School of Integrated Sciences & Technologies proposed a national blueprint for attracting and retaining talented overseas Koreans. The blueprint included building a settlement-oriented pipeline instead of relying on one-off welfare policies such as existing scholarship programs, offering interdisciplinary degrees centered on “AI strategic management” and linking education with practical work in companies. Professor Woo Young-ok of Pai Chai University's Department of Public Administration said that social-integration strategies for overseas Koreans should develop policies across their life cycle, including before entry, entry, residence and settlement. She also cited the need to build a locally tailored policy-coordination platform centered on Residence Support Centers for Overseas Koreans.

In his welcoming remarks, Justice Minister Jung said, “To secure sustainable national growth engines and economic growth, Korea needs to attract and develop global talent more actively. The expert views presented at this forum will serve as milestones for the policies on supporting the settlement of global talent and overseas Koreans that the Ministry of Justice's Korea Immigration Service will pursue.”

In his welcoming remarks, lawmaker Lee said, “As countries around the world compete fiercely for talent, it is time for Korea to move one step beyond being a country people want to come to and become a country where they want to stay.” He added that he hoped the forum would provide a meaningful opportunity to identify practical measures for attracting global talent, supporting the stable settlement of overseas Koreans and promoting social integration.

Based on proposals from the forum, the Ministry of Justice's Korea Immigration Service plans to support legislative efforts on the amendment to the Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners Residing in the Republic of Korea. It also plans to continue pursuing inclusive immigration policies and domestic policies for overseas Koreans that enable Korean nationals, overseas Koreans and immigrants to grow together.