Sunfull Foundation Chairman Dr. Min Byoung-chul, front row fifth from left, poses for the camera with other dignitaries at a meeting held to discuss preparations for the launch of a campaign encouraging respect for multicultural families and foreign residents at a hotel in Seoul, Jan. 17. From left are Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Vu Tung, Philippine Ambassador Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega, Sunfull National Assembly Committee Co-Chairman Rep. Lee Che-ik, Dr. Min, Indonesian Ambassador Gandi Sulistiyanto and Turkish Ambassador Murat Tamer. Courtesy of Sunfull Foundation

The Sunfull Foundation plans to launch a campaign encouraging respect for multicultural families and foreign residents of Korea. Toward that end, the Sunfull Foundation, an anti-cyberbullying organization led by Min Byoung-chul, endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University, held a meeting to discuss preparing for the launch of the campaign at a hotel in southern Seoul on Jan. 17.

The meeting was held in cooperation with the Sunfull National Assembly Committee co-headed by Rep. Lee Che-ik.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Min and Rep. Lee along with Indonesian Ambassador to Korea Gandi Sulistiyanto, Turkish Ambassador Murat Tamer, Philippine Ambassador Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega and Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Vu Tung.

During the meeting, the participants agreed to begin a campaign calling for mutual respect, and stopping discriminatory language and behavior against foreign residents of Korea and multicultural families.

"The campaign to respect multicultural families and foreigners in Korea is an imperatively necessary campaign for Korean society, where about 2 million foreigners are living," Rep. Lee said. "We'll do our best to make Korea a country where multiculturalism flourishes in cooperation with embassies here."

Indonesian Ambassador Gandi Sulistiyanto said, "I joined the campaign because I thought it's a movement that would have a positive impact on Indonesia."

He said the campaign would be beneficial for Indonesia, where there are many cultures and ethnicities, because it encourages good comments and good language instead of hate speech.

"This is a great campaign that can promote coexistence, tolerance and peace and is in line with the philosophy of the Sunfull Movement," Turkish Ambassador Murat Tamer said.

Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega, the Philippine envoy, said, "Currently, about 54,000 Filipinos live and work in Korea. I believe that the campaign will not only raise awareness about multicultural families but also provide a good platform to continuously promote the shared values of respectfulness, mindfulness, kindness and human rights."

Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Vu Tung also said, "It is consistent with the embassy's efforts to promote the welfare and rights of Vietnamese citizens in Korea. The campaign will help them adapt better and improve their lives here, and I believe that Vietnam will also respect Koreans residing in Vietnam in the same way."

The Sunfull Foundation chairman said, "Korea is a country where foreigners from all over the world coexist. Heartbreakingly, I sometimes encounter cases of discriminatory language and behavior toward multicultural families and foreigners in our country."

He said the Vietnamese ambassador's statement that this campaign will be equally respected not only by Vietnamese residing in Korea but also by Koreans residing in Vietnam has significant implications. "This is the basic reason I began this campaign," Min said.