President Lee Visits New York for UN General Assembly
Reiterates Commitment to Thorough Reform of Overseas Voting System
President Lee Jaemyung, who is visiting New York, USA, to attend the United Nations General Assembly, held a meeting with overseas Koreans on the 22nd (local time). He stated, "I will make sure to build a Republic of Korea where overseas citizens, who live not only on Korean territory but all around the world, can proudly and confidently say that they are citizens of Korea."
President Lee began his remarks by saying, "There is a saying that you become a patriot when you go abroad, and it seems to be true." At the meeting with overseas Koreans held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York, he said, "Originally, the homeland should be concerned about its citizens living abroad, but for quite a long time, it seems that overseas Koreans have been the ones worrying about Korea. Now, Korea will think of you and care for you," he declared.
He continued, "K-Culture, K-Pop, K-Dramas, K-Food, and K-Beauty, and even K-Democracy-Korea is becoming a model that the world looks up to." He added, "Now, it is time for Korea to return to normalcy and take another leap forward." During President Lee's remarks, the audience of overseas Koreans responded with applause several times.
President Lee also reiterated his commitment to thoroughly improve the overseas voting system. He had previously stated his intention to reform the overseas voting system during meetings with overseas Koreans in countries such as Canada and Japan. President Lee said, "Among the messages I frequently receive while traveling abroad, many people ask why voting is so difficult." He continued, "There are people who said they voted over a two-day period, others who paid hundreds of dollars for airfare and flew for several hours to vote, and some who had to give up voting altogether. Many people expressed regret that they could not exercise their rights as the true owners of Korea."
President Lee said, "We often say in words that the people are the true owners of the country, but if the owners are not given the opportunity to act as such, isn't that a real problem?" He continued, "Korea's national power has grown so much, and I will make sure to improve the voting system so that, including overseas Koreans, all citizens can fully exercise their rights as the true owners of Korea, no matter where they are in the world."
Earlier, in his welcoming speech, Lee Myungseok, president of the Korean American Association of New York, mentioned the incident in which over 300 Korean workers were detained at the Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site in Georgia, saying, "They were able to return within a few days, thanks to the President's prompt decision." He added, "I hope that the President will show the same affection and attention to each and every one of the 7.3 million overseas Koreans."
He went on to say, "The Korean community in New York, numbering 500,000, is the third largest in terms of population and economic power among Asian communities, following China and India. However, there is one area where we are number one: culture." He continued, "Following the global popularity of K-Pop, K-Food, and K-Dramas, K-Movies and K-Culture, as seen in the recent film K-Pop Demon Hunters, are sweeping the world."
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