Addressing Koreans in New York, Lee vows to strengthen national pride

President Lee Jae Myung salutes the national flag together with guests during a meeting with the local Korean community at a hotel in New York, Monday (local time). Yonhap

NEW YORK CITY — Speaking to a gathering of overseas Koreans in New York on Monday evening, President Lee Jae Myung said Korea is emerging as a global model and pledged to bolster national pride among citizens both at home and abroad.

“I will make sure the Republic of Korea is a country where overseas Koreans can proudly and confidently say, ‘I am a citizen of Korea,’” Lee said during a community meeting held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan.

Calling this a moment for Korea to take another leap forward, he stressed both the nation’s democratic and economic achievements.

“Among the countries liberated from colonial rule, Korea is the only one to achieve successful industrialization and, on top of that, democratization,” Lee said. “Although the world once had concerns, Korea has returned as a model democracy, a cultural powerhouse and a strong military and economic nation.”

President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech during a meeting with the local Korean community at a hotel in New York, Monday (local time). Yonhap

Lee also pledged to expand voting rights for overseas citizens, criticizing the current system as overly cumbersome.

“I often hear how difficult it is to vote,” he said. “Some people travel for two days, and others pay hundreds of dollars in airfare and spend hours on a plane just to cast a ballot and many end up giving up entirely. Too many Koreans are unable to exercise their rightful sovereignty.”

The gathering took place in a symbolic year marking both the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Lee is scheduled to address the U.N. General Assembly this week.