President Lee Jae Myung on June 9 gives a speech at a dinner for Korean expats at a hotel in Brussels.

By Hong Angie
Photos = Yonhap News

President Lee Jae Myung, who is on a tour of Europe, on June 9 said, "Going forward, I will show you a better Republic of Korea, one different from what has come before."

At a dinner for Korean expats in Belgium at a hotel in the Belgian capital, he added, "You might have very worried while watching your motherland going through such upheaval, but the Republic of Korea is quickly recovering stability."

The event was the first of its kind in Belgium, a key European hub where both the European Union (EU) and NATO are based. About 50 people attended including representatives from overseas Korean organizations, members of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, business leaders, figures from education, science, culture and religion, and ethnic Korean adoptees.

President Lee hailed the contributions of expats in Belgium.

"I imagine that many compatriots living in Belgium are beginning to feel the recent rise in Korea's international standing," he said. "Behind this lay the dedication and efforts of all of you, our compatriots, who never forgot your identity in your respective roles and quietly served as a strong bridge connecting Korea and Belgium."

"To listen more closely to our overseas compatriots, we will seek to ensure that diplomatic missions abroad go beyond their official intergovernmental diplomatic duties to establish themselves as platforms that capture and reflect the voices of our compatriots.”

President Lee also highlighted his country's transformation over the past decades.

"The Republic of Korea has undergone a dramatic transformation -- from a poor country that struggled to survive on foreign aid to one that advanced economically and received recognition as a global power in culture," he said, calling it "extraordinary progress."

Concluding his speech, he emphasized the importance of civilian diplomacy as part of Korea's strategy for survival as a trade-dependent state.

"The impression people have of Korea can change completely depending on the actions of each and every one of you," he said. "You are all great civilian diplomats who bring honor to the Republic of Korea."

President Lee Jae Myung (right) and first lady Kim Hea Kyung on June 9 take a photo with children at a meeting of Korean expats at a hotel in Brussels. 

shong9412@korea.kr