Shaila Durgo on AK Unit: "Have You Seen the Desert Fox?"... Kim Geonhee's Breathless Visit to UAE

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'Shaila' Worn During Grand Mosque Visit Draws Attention
Completes Schedule with Yoon Without Solo Events

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who is visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) alongside President Yoon Suk-yeol, continues her active engagements locally.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the afternoon of the 15th (local time), First Lady Kim visited the ARC Unit deployed in the UAE with President Yoon Suk-yeol to encourage the troops, followed by a separate meeting with female soldiers.

She expressed her encouragement, saying, "I am proud and reassured to meet all of you in military uniforms here in the UAE. Without your determination to dedicate yourselves to the nation, it would have been difficult to endure such harsh desert conditions. I hope this time will be beneficial both for the country and for you personally."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On that day, the presidential couple visited the ARC Unit wearing desert camouflage uniforms. After taking photos with the unit members, First Lady Kim spoke with soldiers in special gear related to snipers, high-altitude parachuting, counterterrorism, and bomb disposal. She showed concern to a soldier wearing bomb disposal gear by asking, "Isn't it heavy?"

She also showed curiosity by asking, "Are there many desert foxes here?" to which President Yoon replied, "You know everything."

During her two-day stay in the UAE, First Lady Kim has actively participated not only in the ARC Unit schedule but also in all events with President Yoon except for the summit meeting with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Since arriving in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on the 14th, she has attended meetings with UAE government officials at the airport and held gatherings with Korean expatriates. The following day, she visited the UAE Martyrs' Cemetery 'Wahat Al Karima,' paid respects at the tomb of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s founding president, at the Grand Mosque, and participated in the official welcoming ceremony and state luncheon.

Notably, during the visit to the Grand Mosque, First Lady Kim attracted attention by wearing a white blouse and black pants along with a 'Shayla,' a headscarf worn by women in Islamic regions.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This attire respects the Islamic law that "women should not show their hair." Previously, former President Park Geun-hye wore a white Shayla during her mosque visit in March 2015, and former First Lady Kim Jung-sook, wife of former President Moon Jae-in, wore a black Shayla during her visit in March 2018.

This differs from her previous Southeast Asia tour, where she had many solo schedules such as meetings with environmental activists and visits to local hospitals. As she is visiting the UAE in the capacity of a state guest, she is participating in official events alongside President Yoon, demonstrating diplomatic partnership as a couple. First Lady Kim is expected to attend most of the remaining events during the tour, except for those of a summit nature.

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