Rome: President Lee Jae Myung on Monday pledged efforts to ensure proper overseas voting rights for Koreans abroad, calling administrative issues in preventing such rights a "serious problem." The president made the remarks during a meeting in Rome with South Korean residents in Italy, part of his first European tour since taking office in June last year.

According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee expressed his concerns about the inability of South Korean voters to exercise their voting rights due to administrative issues. He emphasized that this situation constitutes a serious problem and promised to work towards resolving it as soon as possible. The president's comments come amid ongoing protests in South Korea, where there is a demand for a rerun of the June 3 local elections following ballot paper shortages at some polling stations that partially disrupted voting.

Lee also highlighted South Korea's rise in global standing, noting the country's transformation from an imperial colony of Japan to a democracy respected around the world. He assured his commitment to supporting and protecting South Koreans living overseas, underscoring the importance of upholding their voting rights and addressing any challenges they face in participating in the democratic process.