재외국민보호를 위한 경찰 역할 제언: - 미국 內 아시아계 대상 증오범죄 분석을 중심으로 -

Abstract

The “Consular Coordination Act for the Protection of Overseas Koreans” has been in effect since January 16th, 2021, and the head of the MOI* has announced the plan of government-unit reorganization for propelling the Office of Overseas Koreans (tentative). Through these legal and institutional changes, the Korean government has clearly shown its active interest in and support for the protection of overseas Koreans. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, the number of overseas travelers hit 28,000,000, and it also increased the demand for the protection of overseas Koreans. Following the pandemic, the percentage of crime decreased as the number of overseas travelers reduced. However, the number of overseas travelers has recently increased as several governments published new mitigation policies for COVID-19 prevention. Various factors in the international community, such as new infectious diseases, terrorism, and war, not only threaten the traditional safety of overseas Koreans compared to existing accidents, but also assign new and problematic challenges to relevant ministries to deal with them promptly. In this situation, the Korean government should safeguard overseas Koreans with preemptive and operative responses. In particular, in the United States, where the largest number of overseas Koreans reside in the world, hate crimes against Asian people have recently emerged as a new type of crime against foreigners. As the new crime needed a systematic and comprehensive response, the safety of overseas Koreans in the Americas is also greatly threatened. Therefore, this research suggests the responsibility of the police for the protection of overseas Koreans, according to a study on hate crimes against Asians in the USA.