Yoon pledges to widen playing field for overseas Koreans

Oct 06, 2023, 11:02 am

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President Yoon Suk-yeol attends the 17th World Korean Day held at Lotte Hotel in Seoul on Oct. 5, 2023. / Source: Yonhap News

AsiaToday reporter Hong Sun-mi

President Yoon Suk-yeol met with a group of Koreans from around the world on Thursday, saying he will pay closer attention to Koreans living overseas and strengthen global networks to widen the “playing field” for businesses, people, and 7.5 million overseas compatriots.

Yoon made the remark during a ceremony marking the 17th World Korean Day held at a hotel in Seoul. “The 120-year history of immigration has been a great help to develop the capabilities of the Republic of Korea,” he said.

Stressing the sacrifices and hard work of compatriots for their homeland, Yoon said, “With your hard work and effort, you wrote the history of immigration and the economic history of the great Koreans.” The president recalled the Koreans who worked in Hawaii’s sugar cane fields and those who worked in the cactus farms in Latin America and sent their money for South Korea’s independence.

He also referred to the support of overseas Koreans during the foreign exchange crisis as well as miners and nurses sent to Germany in the 1960s to earn foreign currency, saying, “Our overseas Koreans were strong supporters of the development of the Republic of Korea.”

“I once again ask my compatriots to join and help us realize the vision of a global pivotal state that contributes to freedom, peace and prosperity around the world,” he said.

“We aim to establish free democracy and recover the market economy,” Yoon said. “Building a network with Koreans and establishing an overseas Korean office to thoroughly look after compatriots is in line with the government’s philosophy to solidify free democracy and market economy order while aiming for internationalism.”

At the event, actor Park So-hee gave remarks on his own experience of living as a third-generation Korean-Japanese, and living in the United States, while overcoming discrimination as an immigrant and holding on to his Korean identity. Park starred in the American TV series “Pachinko,” which is based on the bestselling novel by Min Jin Lee and follows the story of Korean immigrants living in Japan in the 20th century.

During the ceremony, five people were given government awards in recognition of their service to Koreans living overseas, including representatives of Korean communities in Vancouver, Canada, and Africa and the Middle East.

#Yoon Suk-yeol #overseas Koreans