WP Refers to Mrs. Kim Geon-hee as 'Laundry Drying Rack'... US Readers Say "Rude"

Article Introducing Jill Biden's Fashion Philosophy
Mrs. Kim Described as a 'Person Who Cares a Lot About Fashion'

A reader criticized a Washington Post (WP) article that described First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, as "a person who pays a lot of attention to fashion," saying not to insult the Korean president's wife. The reader pointed out that negative comments about the attire of a state guest are rude.

On the 12th (local time), the WP's opinion section featured a piece titled "Please do not insult the Korean president's wife" at the top.

Written by Ronald Haitala from Falls Church, Virginia, the letter took issue with WP's April 27 article that described First Lady Kim, who accompanied President Yoon on his state visit to the U.S., as a "clotheshorse." This word originally means a laundry drying rack but is also slang for someone who boasts about their clothes or is very interested in fashion trends.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who are on a state visit to the United States, arrived at the state dinner held at the White House in Washington DC on April 26 (local time) and are taking a commemorative photo with U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The article mainly focused on evaluating Dr. Jill Biden's attire and her fashion philosophy rather than First Lady Kim's clothing. It noted that Dr. Biden's outfit at the state dinner was restrained and that she generally tries not to flaunt fashion.

At the state dinner on April 26, Dr. Jill Biden wore a pale purple dress with an unidentifiable brand.

The article stated, "Jill Biden's fashion philosophy is that brand names should not frequently be a topic of discussion," adding, "The pale purple can make her stand out, but she is happier to provide the fashion credentials for guests' attire, especially for Kim, who is well known as a clotheshorse and wore a wide chiffon skirt and small white gloves that day."

Mr. Haitala pointed out that the description of First Lady Kim "was not kind and no part of the article substantiated such a portrayal." He added, "Such remarks make our U.S. government's work more difficult," and "There are few occasions to evaluate a visitor's attire, and unnecessary negative comments about a visitor's clothing are rude."

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