(1) A Foreign Investor Support Center (hereinafter referred to as the "Investment Support Center") shall be established in the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency in order to conduct consultations, guidance, advertisement, investigation, research, and treatment of civil petitions either directly or by proxy, the nurturing of business start-up, etc. concerning foreign investment and provide comprehensive support measures for foreign investors and foreign-invested companies. <Amended on Apr. 5, 2010>
(2) Where necessary to properly perform foreign investment-related affairs, the president of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency may request the relevant administrative agencies, corporations or organizations related to foreign investment (hereinafter referred to as "foreign-investment related agencies") to dispatch their public officials or executives and employees to render service at the Investment Support Center; provided, where the service of public officials is required, prior consultation with the competent minister shall be made.
(3) Where necessary to efficiently manage foreign investment-related duties by foreign investors or foreign-invested companies, the president of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency may request the head of a relevant administrative agency having jurisdiction over the relevant duty to establish a sub-branch of the agency within the Investment Support Center. In such cases, the head of the agency upon receipt of such request shall comply therewith, unless other specific grounds exist to the contrary.
(4) The Investment Support Center shall be run mainly by officers and employees of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency who have considerable knowledge and experience in foreign investment, and public officials or the officers and employees of foreign-investment related agencies dispatched to the Investment Support Center in accordance with paragraph (2) (hereinafter referred to as "dispatched officers") shall render their support for the business matters of the Investment Support Center.
(5) The head of a relevant administrative agency or a foreign-investment related agency to whom a request for dispatching public officials or officers or employees has been made in accordance with paragraph (2) shall select those who are well-suited for the business matters in question and dispatch them, unless other specific grounds exist to the contrary, and where he or she intends to stop the dispatched service before the period for service expires, he or she shall consult in advance with the president of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.
(6) The head of a relevant administrative agency or a foreign-investment related agency who dispatches public officials or officers or employees under his or her jurisdiction in accordance with paragraph (2) may give preferential treatment to the dispatched officers in terms of their promotion, position transfer, rewards, and welfare measures.
(7) Where necessary to conduct the business under paragraph (1), the president of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency may request the relevant administrative agency or the foreign-investment related agency to request cooperation, and the head of the agency in receipt of such request shall comply therewith, unless other specific grounds exist to the contrary.
(8) Deleted. <Apr. 5, 2010>
(9) Matters necessary for the composition and operation of the Investment Support Center shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. <Amended on Apr. 5, 2010>[This Article Wholly Amended on Jan. 30, 2009][Title Amended on Apr. 5, 2010]