South Korea’s Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon met with French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Wednesday, his office confirmed Thursday, a trip highlighting his focus on coping with the fast-growing number of foreign residents here.

The two ministers exchanged information on immigration and border and migration management policy issues between Korea and France and decided to build a cooperative system to deal with the challenges of international migration, the ministry added.

Han headed to Europe on Tuesday to establish ties with key European nations, including the Netherlands and Germany, regarding customs clearance and immigration policies.

Since taking office in May last year, Han has stressed the importance of tackling immigration issues.

In the first half of this year, the ministry aims to push for a customized visa policy for overseas Koreans staying in Korea. It also plans to set up a unit to help coordinate immigration policy at the pangovernmental level.