President Lee Jae-myung stated today (the 11th) that "the international order is passing through a tunnel of severe chaos," adding, "Now, more than ever, we need the wisdom to build up our strength, broaden our diplomatic horizons, and resolve various issues through close cooperation with the international community."

President Lee, who returned home yesterday after a visit to France, presided over a senior secretaries meeting at Cheong Wa Dae today and said, "We must quietly forge ahead on this path, keeping only the people, our national interest, and a better tomorrow in mind. I ask our citizens to show interest and join us in this effort."

This message is interpreted as an emphasis on his commitment to pursuing national interest-driven diplomacy while urging public support, amid a pile of diplomatic challenges such as growing pressure from the United States regarding the deployment of troops to the Strait of Hormuz.

President Lee also diagnosed, "As everyone knows, the global order is rapidly multi-polarizing. At times like this, we must join hands with more countries and expand our diplomatic sphere into more diverse regions."

In this context, he mentioned his recent state visit to France and the upcoming South Korea-Central Asia Summit to be held in Seoul next week.

First, regarding his state visit to France, President Lee evaluated, "We achieved results that further substantiate the partnership between the two countries, spanning politics, the economy, advanced industries, and the fields of culture and arts."

Expressing high expectations, he stated, "If we broaden our view, strengthening cooperation with France, a core nation of the European Union (EU), will correspondingly expand our diplomatic horizons toward Europe."

Regarding the South Korea-Central Asia Summit, he forecasted, "Central Asia is the geopolitical center of the Eurasian continent and a region with immense growth potential, equipped with abundant energy and critical minerals. Through this summit, relations between South Korea and Central Asia will be solidified into a summit-level multilateral cooperation system, and the New Northern Policy will gain further momentum."

Meanwhile, President Lee also urged officials to redouble their efforts in the search and rescue operations for flood victims in Nepal.

President Lee noted, "Due to poor local conditions, the search and rescue operations for our citizens have regrettably not made much progress," and instructed, "Relevant agencies must cooperate closely with the Nepalese government and companies to ensure there are no gaps in the search and rescue efforts for the missing persons."

He added, "If it is determined that additional personnel dispatch is necessary in the future, please also consider carrying out local troop rotations on-site."

President Lee emphasized, "Taking sincere care of the hearts of the families of the missing persons is also important," and urged, "Do your utmost in communication to ensure the families do not feel abandoned by the state or harbor any sense of grievance."

(Photo: Provided by the Cheong Wa Dae Press Corps, Yonhap News)