Participants pose during a K-Respect campaign event at the National Assembly, Friday. They include Nurgali Arystanov, front row sixth from left, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Korea; Rep. Kim Dae-sik, front row seventh from left, of the main opposition People Power Party; and Min Byoung-chul, front row eighth from left, chairman of the Sunfull Foundation. Courtesy of Sunfull Foundation
Min Byoung-chul, chairman of the Sunfull Foundation, hosted an event with the the National Assembly’s Sunfull Committee Friday to raise awareness about respect and cooperation toward foreign nationals living in Korea.
The event at the National Assembly brought together foreign ambassadors, corporate representatives employing migrant workers and multicultural families, highlighting the contributions of more than 2.5 million foreign nationals living in Korea and the challenges they face, including discrimination and hate speech.
Building on those discussions, both organizations — named after a phonetic rendering of the Korean word for “kind comments” — are continuing the K-Respect campaign to promote respect and inclusion.
First launched in 2023, the campaign supports multicultural families, foreign residents here and 7.5 million overseas Koreans around the world.
“Korea can become a true global leader only when a culture of respect for foreigners living here takes root,” Min said, emphasizing the importance of the campaign.
Lawmakers and ambassadors who attended the event also emphasized the importance of diversity and respect for different cultures.
“A truly sustainable society is one that embraces diversity. Discrimination and hatred toward foreigners ultimately harm us all,” said Rep. Lee In-seon of the main opposition People Power Party.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Korea Vu Ho said the campaign will deepen bilateral relations and strengthen Asian cooperation, as many Vietnamese people live, work and study in Korea.
“In response to Korea’s growing movement to promote respect for Vietnamese, we plan to launch a campaign in Vietnam to ensure that Koreans living there are treated with the same respect and understanding,” the ambassador said.
Min said that the foundation, the K-Respect Global Society and the committee will continue efforts to raise public awareness of respect and compassion.
“We also plan to strengthen policy initiatives and social solidarity so that diverse members of society — including foreign workers, international students and multicultural families — can live free of discrimination,” he added.