Kim Gun-hee Meets French Foreign Minister Collona... "Hope to Continue Exchanges on Animal Rights Policies"

Conversation on the Occasion of Attending the Opening Ceremony of the French Embassy in Korea
Mrs. Kim's Solo Activities Increase Instead of Yoon in Preparation for U.S. Visit
Continuous Field Visits to Volunteer Work, Veterans Affairs, Welfare, and Diplomacy

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, met with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on the 15th and mentioned the need for policy exchanges on animal rights between Korea and France. This week, while President Yoon is preparing for a state visit to the United States with a busy schedule including volunteer work, veterans affairs, diplomacy, welfare, and animal rights, First Lady Kim is increasing communication with the public on his behalf.

According to the Presidential Office on the 16th, First Lady Kim had a conversation with Minister Colonna on the occasion of attending the opening ceremony of the French Embassy in Seoul’s Seodaemun-gu the previous afternoon.

The building of the French Embassy in Korea was designed by Kim Joong-up, the only Korean disciple of Le Corbusier, a pioneer of modern Korean architecture and a French architectural master, and was completed in 1962. Since its completion, it has undergone several expansions and renovations, and from 2018, a five-year remodeling project was carried out to restore its original form.

First Lady Kim referred to France’s new animal welfare law, which bans the sale of pets in pet shops except for the adoption of abandoned animals starting in 2024, and stated, "I hope Korea and France will continue policy exchanges to advance animal rights."

In response, Minister Colonna explained that France’s constitution explicitly includes the spirit of respect for animals and recognizes animals as sentient beings with emotions.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the opening ceremony, First Lady Kim also remarked, "This building exquisitely blends the spirit of Korea and the unique charm of France," and expressed hope that "the two countries will develop a future-oriented relationship based on long-standing friendship."

Recently, First Lady Kim has carried out various solo schedules including attending the opening ceremony of the French Embassy in Korea, volunteering at a laundromat, visiting Daejeon Taepyeong Traditional Market and families of fallen police officers, attending the Heroes Family launch ceremony, meeting families of abductees and detainees, being appointed honorary chairperson of the Community Chest of Korea, and having lunch with animal protection organization representatives, among other activities.

Regarding this, Presidential Office officials explained, "First Lady Kim is fulfilling her duties as the president’s wife, taking care of matters that President Yoon cannot directly attend to due to state affairs and preparation for overseas trips."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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