President Yoon Suk Yeol said that Korean language schools overseas play an important role as they help ethnic Koreans learn not only the language but also the history and culture of their mother country, and thereby retain their roots and identity.

Yoon made this remark in a congratulatory message sent to the opening ceremony of the general assembly of the National Association for Korean Schools held in San Francisco on Friday.

In the message read by association president Chew Sung-hee, Yoon said that thanks to the dedication and passion of Korean language teachers, Korean communities overseas are able to build a foundation for their achievements in various areas. 

He thanked the teachers for educating the next generation and promised more government support so that next-gen Koreans can become leaders in mainstream U.S. society and emerge as South Korea's global assets.

Established in 1981, the National Association for Korean Schools has 14 regional branches and some eight thousand member teachers who impart knowledge to 80-thousand students.

The opening ceremony was attended by around 500 teachers and other officials including Seoul's consul general in San Francisco.