Fellow Korean compatriots and distinguished guests,

 

I congratulate you on the 11th World Korean Day, a festival for 7.4 million Korean compatriots overseas, and the 2017 World Korean Community Leaders Convention.

 

Today, I am very pleased to meet you all, fellow Koreans from all over the world. My special appreciation goes to the delegations from the overseas Korean communities.

 

The Korean communities overseas have spearheaded the efforts to bring together the hearts and minds of compatriots across the globe, give them encouragement and carry out a variety of activities specific to their needs. I offer my congratulations to those who have been honored with medals and citations in recognition of their dedication.

 

My proud Korean compatriots,

 

Even though we live in different parts of the world, Korean compatriots  abroad and Koreans  at home have always been one in the history of the Republic of Korea.

 

We crusaded for the nation’s independence on the Korean Peninsula and in many parts of the world. We laughed together with joy on liberation and wept together for the suffering from war and national division. We have always come together throughout the vicissitudes of modern history  toward democracy and economic development.

 

Our compatriots also made great contributions in restoring democracy in Korea. They held candles in rallies on winter plazas in the northern hemisphere and summer squares in the southern hemisphere. In the last presidential election, their voter turnout was 75.3 percent, which is amazingly high.

 

The  stature of our compatriots in countries around the world is growing constantly. They are putting down deep roots in their adopted countries and are demonstrating excellent performance in their respective fields.

 

Today, I want to add one more credit to them. The solidarity of overseas Korean communities that became further cemented when the country was in difficulty served as great encouragement and a beacon of hope to the Korean people.

 

Many joined hands to tell the world about the comfort women issue and to honor the victims of sexual slavery. They wrote novels in an effort to bring together the hearts of the South and the North and sang for the cause. They took the lead in championing not only humanitarian assistance but also human rights campaigns. They visited Korean War veterans to thank them and promoted aspirations for peace on the Korean Peninsula. 

 

Our compatriots shared in the suffering of their homeland. In foreign lands far away from home, they laid out a path for us to take together and took action.

 

I feel very proud and reassured of these chapters in history we are writing together, in which the growth of the Republic of Korea leads to the growth of overseas Korean communities, and then again to the advancement of Korea.

 

Fellow Koreans abroad,

 

Our country is now striving to build a nation for the people by gathering all wisdom and strength. This is the fruit of the participation and aspirations you all showed in the last presidential election.

 

More than anything else, I would like to emphasize that a just Republic of Korea is now in the making. The state agencies with great authority are in the process of soul-searching and self-reform. For its part, my Administration will also work with utmost commitment to completely root out unfair practices and injustice.  

 

My Administration is also pushing for a fundamental economic paradigm shift. The goal is to make sure all citizens have fair opportunities and enjoy the benefits of growth. Changes are now taking place in our everyday lives concerning housing, healthcare and safety. 

 

We are also giving more concrete shape to the policies for Koreans overseas.

 

First, my Administration will work to protect your safety, rights and interests. Recent increases in terrorism, crime and natural disasters across the globe are adding to your anxieties and worries. A Korean was killed in an earthquake that hit Mexico last week. I would like to take this opportunity to express heartfelt condolences to the victim and the bereaved family. 

 

By setting up centers dedicated to protecting overseas Koreans, which will be in operation round the clock 365 days, we will make our best efforts to prevent all preventable accidents. In order to deal with unpredictable events, we will enhance our capabilities for initial responses.

 

In addition, we will ensure that you can receive sufficient consular assistance wherever you are. We will push for the innovation of consular services at diplomatic missions abroad to ease your inconvenience. 

 

Second, we will make efforts to help your descendants keep their identity as Koreans. In addition to the systematic education on the Korean language, culture and history, we will also expand the invitational training programs, scholarships and youth exchanges. 

 

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the settlement of ethnic Koreans in Central Asia and Russia, and their successful settlement has helped raise the pride of Koreans. We will support their descendants` visits to their home country, which we hope will serve as an opportunity to reaffirm their Korean identity. 

 

Third, my Administration will further enhance its efforts for the common progress of Korean communities overseas and the Republic of Korea. The focus of our endeavors will be placed on strengthening economic capabilities of the Korean people through business exchanges between domestic SMEs and companies run by our people overseas.

 

We will also provide strong support for the improvement of the standing of  Koreans abroad in their respective countries and will help them maintain close ties with their homeland. 

 

Fellow Koreans overseas, 

 

The heightening tensions surrounding the Korean Peninsula must be a huge concern. The Government and I are making every effort to fundamentally solve the North Korean nuclear issue. Leaders from around the world are answering the urgent appeals of the Republic of Korea. The path we must take is the one toward peace. This is a difficult path but is the one that the Republic of Korea  must take. No matter how difficult it might become, we will wisely pull through. 

 

The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games this coming February will be a significant opportunity that you and I and all of us are going to welcome for the sake of peace on the Korean Peninsula. 

 

You all may remember the summers of 1988 and 2002. Like the song, “Hand in Hand,” which resonated in Seoul and around the world, the 1988 Seoul Olympics contributed to reconciliation between the East and West and the disintegration of the Cold War. In 2002, everyone in red T-shirts cheered for “the Republic of Korea” together, and the chant also paved the way for the forward-looking cooperation in Korea-Japan relations. 

 

It was a miracle created by the people’s strength and desire for peace. The PyeongChang Olympics will also become an Olympics of peace and harmony. 

 

Beginning with the PyeongChang Olympics in 2018, a series of Olympics will be held in Northeast Asia: Tokyo in 2020 and Beijing in 2022. 

 

The roles of 7.4 million Koreans overseas and leaders of the Korean communities in 194 countries around the world are vital to building peace in PyeongChang and on the Korean Peninsula, and moreover, in Northeast Asia.  

 

As you always have, I ask Koreans overseas to come together and inform the world of the Korean people’s dearest wish for peace. Let the world dream of an Olympics of peace in PyeongChang with unified passion. 

 

If you promote the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in every corner of the world, it will be of great help to draw interest and participation of peoples everywhere. 

 

Let us all— Koreans overseas and those in the homeland—together make the success of the PyeongChang Olympics around the world. Let the Republic of Korea and overseas Koreans become united and start a great journey toward peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. 

 

I congratulate you again on the World Korean Day and the World Korean Community Leaders Convention. 

 

I hope you will be able to feel the warmth of your homeland and be comfortable while you are staying here. I also wish you good health and happiness until we meet again. 

 

Thank you very much.