1. The Foreign Ministry will hold “a talk concert on safe overseas travel” at Cheonggye Plaza, downtown Seoul, at 16:30-19:30, September 24. With a maximum of 1.3 million Koreans expected to head overseas during the 10-day Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) holidays in October, the event will likely serve as an opportunity to engage in communication with the public in that regard, highlighting the significance of safe overseas travel and offering them information on safety situations of foreign countries.

2. The forthcoming talk concert will be moderated by two TV announcers and consist of side events ahead of the main one as well as dialogue with guest speakers and a fall music concert.

° The side events of the talk concert will include such communicative programs as on-site interviews with people whose entries of personal anecdotes related to safe overseas travel have been selected, and other events regarding information on safe overseas travel.

° The main event of the talk concert will bring together Director-General for Overseas Koreans and Consular Affairs Kim Wan-joong of the Foreign Ministry, the producer of an overseas travel program at Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), and a foreign cast member of Korean TV shows. The main event will take the form of dialogue, during which the participants will share with the public safety precautions people must be aware of and take while overseas during the Chuseok holidays, as well as experiences of shooting TV shows overseas.

° The main event will be followed by a music concert at Cheonggye Plaza, featuring performances of sentimental ballads and by an acoustic band popular largely among younger generations.

3. Director-General for Overseas Koreans and Consular Affairs Kim Wan-joong of the Foreign Ministry will inform the public that protecting overseas Koreans, including by ensuring safe overseas travel for them, is one of the main tasks of the Foreign Ministry, and that the Ministry is committed to implementing its people-centered policy, such as by setting up in early 2018 and running a 24/7 “center for overseas safety” to ensure the safety of the Korean residents in and visitors to foreign countries.

° In particular, the 14th group of collegian supporters for safe overseas travel, which is carrying out activities across the country after being formed in July, will join the event personnel and play a role in the efforts to make a success of the talk concert.

※ The group of “collegian supporters for safe overseas travel” has been formed on a biannual basis since 2010 to carry out diverse, online and off-line promotional activities designed to raise safety awareness of Korean travelers abroad and spread relevant information.


* unofficial translation