Australia’s New South Wales Minister for Citizenship, Communities and Aboriginal Affairs to Visit Korea
Mr. Victor Dominello MP, the New South Wales Minister for Citizenship, Communities and Aboriginal Affairs will be visiting Korea from April 9 to 15.
Minister Dominello studied law at University of Sydney and was admitted as a practitioner of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia in 1991. After an extensive legal career, he was sworn in as a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly in 2008 and in March 2011, Dominello was appointed as a Minister for Citizenship, Communities and Aboriginal Affairs.
Last March, Minister Dominello has requested the Community Relations Commissions to conduct an inquiry into the sex trade of Korean women. He has also announced to take immediate and effective measures to stop the exploitation in both state and federal level. Also in 2011, while pointing out that young Asian women have been coerced to participate in the sex industry, the minister has taken initiatives to build an anti-human trafficking community, through the network of law enforcement agencies and support services.
According to the 2011 report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of Asian immigrants has doubled from 2000 to 2010 and will surpass that of European immigrants with two to three years. With the number of Asian immigrants constantly growing, "racism" and "immigration conflict" have become Australia′s major societal issues. As Minister Dominello is an immigrant decent himself, he has spearheaded the effort to address and resolve various issues in multicultural Australia. As Korea, likewise, is transforming into a multicultural society, the minister hopes to engage in fruitful discussions with his Korean counterparts on issues such as public housing and education while in Korea.
During his stay, Minister Dominello will meet Minister PARK Sung Choon of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Deputy Minister KIM Jae Sin of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Minister KIM Nam Sik of the Ministry of Unification, and Vice Mayor of Seoul to discuss ways to enhance exchanges and cooperation between Australia and Korea. He will also hold meetings with officials from Ewha Womans University, Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO), and Hyundai Motor Company. In addition, Mr. Dominello will also visit Gyeongbok Palace, N Seoul Tower, and Gyeongju Historic Area to learn Korea’s past and present.
