As part of the annual Chinese New Year tradition, South Korean President Moon Jae In called several citizens on the first day of the holiday.
According to the Blue House, the President spent about an hour on the morning of February 11 talking to the citizens via the Kakao Talk video call, and they shared their happy new year wishes. It was explained that he expressed his gratitude as everyone continues to go through the difficult times caused by COVID-19 and offered words of comfort.
One of the people who received the call was actor Ryu Jun Yeol, who had worked hard in his battle to protect the environment. He uses social media to encourage people to reduce plastic waste and become a regular donor to Greenpeace, actively taking part in the organization's led campaign.
During the phone call, the actor spoke with the President about a campaign to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated from food shopping and more.
Ryu Jun Yeol talked about the need for large supermarkets and companies to take the lead in reducing waste and also creating a system where items like shampoo and detergent can be refilled instead of needing new containers.
He mentioned seeing a photo of the President and First Lady going to the market the day before with reusable plastic containers, thanking him for helping the campaign a lot. President Moon Jae In also asked Ryu Jun Yeol, "What made you interested in the environment?"
Ryu Jun Yeol replied, "I was touched by the nature I encountered in Africa in 2015 to 2016, and I thought a lot about how we can preserve it so that we can pass it on to future generations."
The president asked Ryu Jun Yeol if he had anything to tell the citizens or the government. Ryu Jun Yeol said that the President has become a huge source of strength by working hard in efforts to make South Korea carbon neutral by 2050.
He added, “For all citizens, this is not a difficult task. Since we are used to carrying a shopping basket, we can put the container in the basket and put our fish or vegetables in it, then we can be part of the lead in protecting the earth's environment. It is important for us to do it together. Didn't we become a model for the rest of the world last year as a developed country when it comes to epidemic prevention because we all worked hard during a pandemic? Just like that, I hope South Korea also takes the first steps in terms of environmental protection. "
Other people called by the President were theater actress Lee So Byul, New Zealand-born pastor Ahn Kwang Hun (Robert John Brennan), soccer player Ji So Yun, announcer and fitness coach Yang Chi Seung, and three students. This is the first year the president has made the annual video call.
A source from the Blue House stated, "The eight people were chosen because they can be a message about courage and facing challenges."/koreanindo.net