Soongsil University graduate becomes first in Korea to earn PhD in overseas Korean protection

Soongsil University has awarded Park Jun-seok the first doctoral degree in South Korea for his research in the field of overseas Korean protection. The university announced that Park received his degree during the commencement ceremony on August 21.

Park's doctoral dissertation, titled 'The Impact of Transnational Crime Threat Perception on the Demand for Introducing Contingency Plans (COOP) in Overseas Missions: Focusing on the Perception of Institutional Gaps and the Demand for Improvement of Overseas Korean Protection Policies,' is the first domestic study to comprehensively analyze new security and public order threats like transnational crime within the framework of overseas Korean protection policies. It examines the structure through which perceptions of transnational crime threats influence the demand for introducing COOP in overseas missions, mediated by the perception of institutional gaps and the demand for policy improvements.

The study found that while the perception of transnational crime threats did not directly impact the demand for COOP, it did have an indirect effect through the perception of institutional gaps and the demand for improved overseas Korean protection policies. The demand for improving overseas Korean protection policies showed the most significant mediating effect on the demand for introducing COOP.

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This thesis is meaningful as it is the first domestic study to comprehensively analyze new security and public order threats like transnational crime within the framework of overseas Korean protection policies.

Based on these findings, the research suggests the necessity of establishing specialized COOP for overseas missions under current legislation, which designates them as disaster management agencies. It also proposes the development of standard guidelines comparable to ISO 22301 and U.S. Federal Continuity Directives FCD 1 and FCD 2. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the need to develop emergency response and business continuity scenarios tailored to specific transnational crime types, particularly for missions in high-risk regions, and to enhance information dissemination and education for overseas Koreans.

Park Jun-seok, currently serving as a senior analyst at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hong Kong, focuses on analyzing economic trends in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. His research aims to bridge academia and policy implementation by contributing to the study of transnational crime response, improvements in overseas Korean protection policies, and the introduction and institutionalization of COOP for overseas missions.

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It is expected to serve as important foundational data for discussions on improving crisis management systems and legal frameworks for overseas missions to protect the lives and property of overseas Koreans.