Mrs. Yuko, Skilled in Tea Ceremony for 20 Years, Shows Consideration... Mrs. Kim Geon-hee Holds Fellowship Event at Jingwansa Temple

Yuko Yeo, with over 20 years of tea ceremony experience, shows consideration
Preparing Suryeokjae to pray for harmony between the two countries

First Lady Kim Keon-hee invited Mrs. Kishida Yuko, who visited Korea with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the 7th, to Seoul Jingwansa Temple, where she served tea and introduced traditional Korean culture and arts.

On the afternoon of the same day, after drinking tea with Mrs. Yuko at Seoul Jingwansa Temple, First Lady Kim watched traditional Korean performances such as Beopgomu, which are performed during the Surukjae (水陸齋) ritual, and had a meditation session, according to a written briefing by Lee Do-woon, spokesperson for the Presidential Office.

Surukjae is a Buddhist ritual that began during the reign of King Taejo of Joseon to comfort the souls of the Goryeo royal family. It offers Buddhist teachings and food to lonely souls around the world to console their spirits.

First Lady Kim said, "Since Mrs. Yuko has practiced tea ceremony (chado) for more than 20 years, we prepared a tea ceremony setting so that she could feel more comfortable during her first visit to Korea." While drinking tea together, they discussed the tea cultures of both countries, as well as the expansion of mutual cooperation and exchange.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the Surukjae performance, it was explained that "Jingwansa Surukjae, a Korean national intangible cultural heritage, was prepared with the hope of comforting the painful hearts of those who were sacrificed in unfortunate incidents in Korea and Japan, including Hiroshima, and praying for the two countries to move toward a path of harmony." In response, Mrs. Kishida expressed her gratitude.

First Lady Kim and Mrs. Yuko met last November at the Indonesia G20 Summit and again in March in Tokyo, Japan. Notably, in Japan, the spouses of the two heads of state shared tea and made wagashi sweets together at the Prime Minister's official residence, fostering friendship.

Afterwards, President Yoon and First Lady Kim hosted a dinner for Prime Minister Kishida and his wife.

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