Kuala lumpur: President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday met with members of the Korean community in Malaysia during his visit to Kuala Lumpur to attend the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations, and pledged stronger support for their safety and rights. On the first day of his two-day trip, Lee expressed his commitment to making South Korea a nation overseas Koreans can be proud of.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee emphasized pursuing institutional reforms to ensure that Korean nationals abroad can exercise their rights without inconvenience. In previous meetings with expatriate communities, he has pledged to improve the overseas voting system and enhance efforts to protect citizens from harm.
During the meeting, Lee acknowledged moments when overseas Koreans felt concerned about their home country, assuring them that his government will work to prevent such situations in the future. This remark is seen as a veiled reference to the martial law debacle in December. Lee took office in June after a snap election, following the ouster of President Yoon Suk Yeol over a failed martial law attempt.
Lee further expressed his vision of building a country where expatriates do not feel anxious when asked about their nationality. He highlighted that the international community recognizes South Korea's democratic achievements and vowed to create a nation that others aspire to emulate and future generations can be proud of.