Yoon dines with Korean residents of Spain, praises their 'spirit of challenge'

President Yoon Suk-yeol shakes hands with participants at his meeting with Korean residents in Spain at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz in Madrid, Wednesday, local time. Yonhap

By Lee Hae-rin

President Yoon Suk-yeol said he would not spare policy support for Korean nationals living overseas to help them and their children grow up proud of their ethnic identity as Koreans.

During a dinner on Wednesday (local time) with 100 Koreans from different fields living in Spain, he also promised to provide digital administrative services for overseas Koreans, saying, “I want to realize a new Korea with you.”

Yoon and first lady Kim Keon-hee met the Korean nationals from all across Spain who gathered at Mandarin Oriental Ritz in Madrid on the sidelines of his official trip to the 2022 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit.

In his opening speech, Yoon said he will revise laws and policies to take good care of the difficulties faced by Korean residents overseas.

Yoon said the Korean community in Spain started with people's “spirit of challenge.”

They went to Spain first as taekwondo instructors, poultry farm workers or deep sea fishermen off the Canary Islands and built up bases for their lives with hard work, he said.

“The first generation of Koreans' hard work and dedication set an example for their descendants and paved the way for further development of the community. The Korean community united when times were tough and they helped one another. Their courage to stand on their own feet in times of crisis inspired Koreans in the motherland,” the president said. “I'd like to give them a big round of applause.”

“In my inauguration speech, I said that I wish to build a country truly owned by its people that fulfills its responsibilities in the international community,” Yoon said, “And I wish to build such a country with you, Korean nationals living overseas.”

Yoon said, “No matter which country you live in, or where you are, you are all precious people of Korea,” and assured them that their lives and safety would be his utmost priority. Then he encouraged the participants to “come together for the Korean community's development.”

Yoon said that he understands many Korean nationals in Spain have faced immense difficulties and permanently returned to Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is the first time in 15 years that a Korean president met with Korean residents in Spain.