Brazilian First Lady Shares Bright Smile in Hanbok on Social Media: “A Gift Ahead of My Visit to Korea”

"We Will Visit Korea to Strengthen Our Ties"

Ahead of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (80)'s visit to Korea, the First Lady of Brazil has released photos of herself wearing hanbok.

According to the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Sao Paulo and the Brazil chapter of the Korean Women’s International Network (KOWIN) on the 10th (local time), First Lady Rosangela da Silva (59), the wife of the Brazilian president, met the leadership of the Korean-Brazilian Association and officials from the Consulate General the previous day at the consul general’s residence in Sao Paulo and had a friendly conversation.

At the event, First Lady da Silva received hanbok as a gift from the local Korean community. It is reported that this hanbok was personally purchased in Korea by Lee Insook, former head of the Brazil chapter of the Korean Women’s International Network.

First Lady da Silva posted on her social media (SNS) photos of herself wearing a white jeogori and a blue-tinted skirt, as well as a video showing her being welcomed by members of the Korean-Brazilian Association. In the photos, traditional Korean items such as a folding screen, mother-of-pearl crafts, and dasik (traditional Korean sweets) were also arranged together.

Brazilian first lady wearing hanbok. Da Silva Rosangela Instagram

In the post, the Brazilian First Lady wrote, “On the eve of my official visit to Korea, I had the honor of receiving hanbok as a gift.” She went on to explain hanbok as “traditional Korean clothing mainly worn for festivals, weddings, holidays, and cultural events.”

She added, “The Korean-Brazilian Association has been active since 1963 and represents around 50,000 people in the Korean community in Brazil,” and assessed that “since the 1960s, Koreans have played a key role in Brazil’s textile industry.” She continued, “Koreans have helped modernize Brazilian industry by creating jobs, strengthening production chains, and driving innovation and family-run businesses.”

She also highly praised the cultural ties between the two countries, including music and food, stressing, “We will soon visit Korea to further strengthen the diplomatic, cultural, and economic bonds between our two nations.”

Previously, the presidential office in Seoul had announced that it was coordinating President Lula’s schedule for a visit to Korea. During the Korea-Brazil summit held on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa in November last year, President Lee Jaemyung extended an invitation, saying, “I look forward to President Lula’s visit to Korea,” and with President Lula having accepted the invitation, working-level consultations are now under way.

President Lula married First Lady da Silva in May 2022. He had previously lost his two former wives in succession.

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