First Lady Kim Jeong-suk: "Vasudeva Kutumbakam! (The world is one)"

Congratulatory Address on the 150th Anniversary of Gandhi's Birth

First Lady Kim Jung-sook, wife of President Moon Jae-in, is delivering a congratulatory video message at the Sangchunjae Hall of the Blue House for the 150th anniversary of Gandhi's birth.

First Lady Kim Jung-sook delivered a congratulatory message at the commemorative event marking the 150th anniversary of Gandhi's birth, conveying a message of friendship and cooperation between Korea and India through Gandhi's philosophy.

At the '150th Anniversary of Gandhi's Birth Commemorative Webinar' held from 1:30 p.m. (Korean time) that day, First Lady Kim said in a video message, "Korea and India, celebrating 47 years of diplomatic relations, have been developing a 'special strategic partnership' based on the close friendship and trust between the two leaders under the Moon Jae-in administration," adding, "Even amid the recent spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the friendly cooperative relationship between Korea and India continues to shine brightly."

President Moon Jae-in and his wife have actively participated in Gandhi-related commemorative events, considering the special strategic partnership between Korea and India, based on their close friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

First Lady Kim also visited India alone in November 2018 upon Prime Minister Modi's official invitation, attending the groundbreaking ceremony of the Queen Heo Memorial Park and the Diwali festival, continuing cultural exchange activities between Korea and India.

In her congratulatory message, First Lady Kim expressed "deep condolences to all those suffering from COVID-19" and said, "This is a time when solidarity for the coexistence of humanity is urgently needed."

She then mentioned Gandhi's spirit of practice, quoting his words, "If you want to change the world, be the change," emphasizing how Gandhi encouraged the production of 'Khadi,' a traditional Indian fabric, by spinning yarn himself, thereby achieving solidarity for independence and freedom through nonviolent means.

Furthermore, she referred to Gandhi's view that "ordinary people who preserve their own culture and traditions are true heroes," explaining, "In Korea, white cotton cloth made by spinning cotton with a spinning wheel has long been a symbol of the people," and added, "The fabric of a country contains the spirit of that country."

At the end of her message, First Lady Kim said, "Like the poetic wisdom of India's national poet Tagore, I hope that Korea and India will become beacons contributing to peace and prosperity not only in Asia but around the world," and concluded with, "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam! Wishing for the well-being of the global community."

'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' is a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the world is one family," interpreted as emphasizing international solidarity in the COVID-19 era.

The webinar was held under the theme "Weaving Relations: Textile Traditions." It was the final event of the Mahatma Gandhi 150th Birth Anniversary project conducted by the Indian government over the past two years. The congratulatory message was delivered upon the request of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

First Lady Kim's video message followed Prime Minister Modi's speech. Wearing an outfit made of Banarasi Khadi from India to remember Gandhi's spirit embodied in Khadi, the background was decorated with a spinning wheel and cotton flowers symbolizing Gandhi's spinning, gifts that Prime Minister Modi presented to President Moon during his visit to the Gandhi Memorial in India in 2018.

Im Se-eun, deputy spokesperson of the Blue House, said, "First Lady Kim's participation in today's webinar is expected to deepen the relationship with India, a key partner in our New Southern Policy, by jointly honoring the great nonviolent spirit and noble sacrifice of Gandhi, who is revered as the father of the nation by Indians."

She added, "We hope that First Lady Kim's video message will serve as a message of courage and solidarity to the international community facing an unprecedented crisis due to the spread of COVID-19."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.