President Lee Jae Myung pledged stronger support for the safety and rights of South Koreans living abroad on Monday ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur.

On the first day of his two-day trip, Lee reaffirmed his commitment to the community in a meeting with the South Korean residents of Malaysia.

Lee said the question “Are you Korean?” can be interpreted in different ways, sometimes reflecting admiration or a desire to connect, and at others implying distance or unfamiliarity.

He emphasized that South Koreans abroad sometimes worry about South Korea’s future and vowed to work to alleviate such concerns.

The president also said the government will pursue institutional reform to ensure that South Korean nationals abroad can exercise their rights without difficulty, underscoring the need to improve the overseas voting system.