By UN Journal Kayla Lee
Director-General for Consular Affairs and Safety Yoon Chu Sok held the 7th ROK-Thailand Consular Consultation in Bangkok with H.E. Mungkorn Pratoomkaew, Director-General of the Department of Consular Affairs of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 9, 2025.
The two sides engaged in wide-ranging discussions on bilateral consular issues, including ▴enhancing the convenience of entry, exit, and stay for Korean nationals in Thailand, and ▴protecting Korean nationals residing in Thailand.
Director-General Yoon emphasized that the bilateral relationship between the two countries, which entered into a strategic partnership in 2012, has developed in nearly every sector—including political, economic, and cultural—over the past 67 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1958.
He expressed his intent to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in consular affairs to deliver tangible results that benefit the citizens of both countries. Director-General Yoon noted the robust people-to-people exchanges, highlighting that the number of Korean visitors to Thailand in the previous year reached approximately 1.87 million—approaching the all-time high of 1.89 million recorded in 2019.
He requested the Thai government’s continued interest and cooperation to ensure the safety and convenience of Korean nationals residing in Thailand.
Director-General Yoon also expressed appreciation for Thailand’s active support in assisting the rescue of Korean nationals who were confined in neighboring countries due to employment scams earlier this year, and both sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation in cases involving Korean victims in the future.
Furthermore, Director-General Yoon emphasized a need to closely collaborate in order to reduce the number of Thai nationals overstaying in Korea.
Both sides shared the view that the protection and convenience of each other’s nationals through consular cooperation is of paramount importance, and that the latest consultation, held 17 months after the 6th meeting in Seoul, served as a valuable opportunity for in-depth discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the consular field.
