President Lee tells foreign envoys Korea will practice ‘pragmatic’ diplomacy abroad, embrace diversity at home

>Lee also tied the country’s international reputation to how it treats immigrants and foreign residents. **“A society free from prejudice and discrimination begins with changing how we see the migrant workers living alongside us,” he said. Respect for diversity, he argued, “is the soil in which a society grows.”**  
   
**Lee promised firm action against xenophobia, discrimination and human rights violations to protect the rights of 2.65 million foreigners who live in Korea and asked foreign governments to look after the rights and safety of the roughly seven million Koreans living abroad.**  
   
He pointed to cultural exchange as another pillar of diplomacy, noting the rebound in tourism after the pandemic, the record number of foreign students in Korea last year and the global reach of Korean pop culture. “Culture transcends geography and language,” he said. “At its heart lies recognition of difference and the value of coexistence.”  
   
In his closing remarks, Lee likened international relations to personal relationships. “When challenges arise, we must work together to solve them; when we feel distant, we should move closer; and when we are already close, we should walk further together,” he said.