First Lady Kim Geon-hee's Nonstop Week... 'Meeting Animal Protection Groups and Volunteering for Laundry'

President Yoon Suk-yeol's wife, Kim Geon-hee, has been carrying out solo public engagements daily while he prepares for his state visit to the United States at the end of this month. Recently, she has been meeting and consoling not only figures from the culture and arts sectors but also families of war casualties, fallen soldiers, and families of abductees and detainees, raising social awareness.

On the morning of the 14th, Mrs. Kim participated in the Saemaul mobile laundry volunteer service held at the Hanbat Comprehensive Social Welfare Center area in Daejeon Metropolitan City. She washed blankets, visited households of elderly living alone to do laundry and delivered gifts as a gesture of comfort. Afterwards, she visited several stores at the Taepyeong Traditional Market in Daejeon.

First Lady Kim Keon-hee visited Taepyeong Traditional Market in Jung-gu, Daejeon on the 14th and donated the necktie that President Yoon Seok-yeol personally wore at the 100-won auction event.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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At Taepyeong Traditional Market, she visited a charity auction and donated a necktie that President Yoon had worn. She attended the '100-Won Auction' event, where items donated by market merchants, including agricultural products, were auctioned off and the proceeds used to gift childcare products to families with newborns in the region. After looking over various items offered by the merchants, she donated a red necktie she had brought along. At this event, Mrs. Kim explained, "The president purchased this from designer Lee Sang-bong, and it has been dry-cleaned," adding, "The president wore it well." Earlier, she visited a rice cake shop, a vegetable store, and an oil shop in succession, purchasing food items and conversing with the merchants. The four boxes of white Baekseolgi rice cakes she bought were delivered to the Hanbat Comprehensive Social Welfare Center.

According to the Presidential Office, Mrs. Kim has participated in a total of six public events from the 9th through this day. Except for the 10th, she has been engaging in one to two events daily, increasing her contact with the public.

On Sunday the 9th, Mrs. Kim attended an Easter joint worship service with President Yoon. On the 11th, she was appointed honorary chairperson of the Community Chest of Korea and attended the inauguration ceremony. As honorary chairperson, she promptly donated funds for the restoration of the wildfire damage in Gangwon Province.

Notably, on the 12th, she unusually met with families of abductees and detainees, stating, "Each has a different story, but this is our people's issue and our collective pain. It must have been a grievance for decades," and emphasized, "Now the government must work with the international community to confirm the whereabouts and ensure the return of abductees and detainees."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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The day before, she attended the launch ceremony of the Heroes Family program, an economic and emotional support program for minor children of fallen and deceased military personnel and firefighters, held at the 63 Convention Center in Yeouido, Seoul. Mrs. Kim said, "It is the nation's duty to remember the sacrifices and dedication of uniformed heroes to the end and to properly honor them."

She also carried out private schedules related to veterans and animal welfare. According to the Presidential Office, on the 13th, Mrs. Kim visited the family of the late Police Lieutenant Yoo Jae-guk of the Han River Police Unit, who died in the line of duty during a search for a missing person who jumped into the Han River three years ago, expressing gratitude by saying, "Because of Lieutenant Yoo's sacrifice and dedication, we can enjoy peaceful and safe daily lives today."

Recently, she held a luncheon with animal protection organization representatives at Sangchunjae in the Blue House and reportedly promised to work toward ending dog meat consumption within the government's term.

Recently, Mrs. Kim has been meeting various people through official and unofficial schedules centered on volunteering and consolation. While President Yoon is occupied with economic and diplomatic schedules preparing for the state visit to the U.S. and the Korea-U.S. summit, Mrs. Kim is directly carrying out communication-related engagements as the 'First Lady.' A Presidential Office official explained, "Mrs. Kim has done what a president's wife should do, taking care of matters that President Yoon cannot directly attend to due to state affairs and preparation for the trip."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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