The new veterans ministry, being upgraded from its current sub-ministry status, will formally come into being in June, officials said Sunday.

Last month, President Yoon Suk Yeol signed a bill promulgating a revision to the Government Organization Act under which the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will be upgraded from the current sub-ministry level to full-fledged ministry status and a new sub-ministry-level agency will be created under the oversight of the foreign minister to support 7.5 million Koreans residing overseas.

The ministry put up a public notice Friday of the revised government organization act that will go into force June 5, the government officials said.

With the upgrade, the workforce of the ministry will be increased to 337 from the current 311, while its current five divisions will be expanded and diversified into 29 divisions, the officials said.

Source: Yonhap News Agency