First Lady Kim Geon-hee Reunites with Ukrainian First Lady Zelenska After Two Months

Published 12 Jul.2023 21:33(KST)

Private NATO Spouse Event: Conversation with the First Lady

[Image source=Yonhap News]

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, reunited with Olena Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

On the 12th (local time), Mrs. Kim attended the official spouses' program of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit held at the "Ukraine Center" in downtown Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

At the event venue, Mrs. Kim briefly greeted Mrs. Zelenska and took commemorative photos together. Mrs. Zelenska, along with Diana Naus?dien?, the First Lady of Lithuania, the host country of this summit, welcomed the spouses of foreign leaders at the entrance.

After the commemorative photo session, children dressed in traditional Ukrainian attire presented flower-shaped badges in the colors of the Ukrainian flag to the spouses of the leaders.

This reunion between Mrs. Kim and Mrs. Zelenska came about two months after their last meeting. Mrs. Zelenska met Mrs. Kim during her visit to Korea in May as a special envoy alongside President Zelenskyy.

At that time, Mrs. Kim highly praised Mrs. Zelenska's dedication in various fields such as education, care, and volunteer work despite the ongoing war. Mrs. Zelenska requested Mrs. Kim, saying, "We hope the Korean government and people will take an interest in and actively participate in Ukraine's reconstruction."

Meanwhile, the spouses' program for the NATO summit leaders held that day was conducted privately. After a brief conversation with Mrs. Zelenska, Mrs. Kim participated in the program and is known to have met and conversed with the spouses of NATO allied leaders.

Mrs. Kim wore a white blouse, a long skirt, and a yellow jacket, carrying an eco bag in one hand. The eco bag attracted attention as it had a keychain symbolizing support for the bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo.