Mrs. Kim Holds Talks with Mrs. Erdogan: "Hoping for Expanded Exchanges in Culture, Arts, and Education"

Kim Hye-kyung, who is visiting T?rkiye with President Lee Jaemyung, engaged in a friendship program and had a conversation with Emine Erdogan, the First Lady of T?rkiye, on the 24th (local time), focusing on a tour of the National Library and a cultural and artistic event, according to Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Jeon Eun-soo.

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The two First Ladies visited the Korea Corner inside the National Library of T?rkiye. In the area stocked with various Korean-language books, including Korean novels, Mrs. Erdogan noted, "The popularity of Korean culture is very high in T?rkiye, and there are many young people eager to learn Korean." In response, Mrs. Kim expressed her gratitude for the keen interest and said, "I hope exchanges between our two countries in the fields of culture, arts, and education will further expand."

Continuing their friendship, the two First Ladies toured an exhibition of traditional Turkish clothing and attended a music performance inside the National Library. During the exhibition, Mrs. Erdogan presented Mrs. Kim with a traditional scarf and bag made from Ankara goat hair as an impromptu gift. Mrs. Kim expressed her appreciation, saying, "It is meaningful to experience the diverse culture and arts of T?rkiye up close."

The music performance featured a children's choir singing "Arirang," followed by flute and piano performances by students from an arts high school for gifted students. This event was the first music performance in the National Library presented by Mrs. Erdogan to a visiting First Lady, and it was especially meaningful as it was prepared in recognition of Mrs. Kim's deep interest in music as a piano major.

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Afterwards, the two First Ladies visited the National Library's archaeology exhibition hall, which displays artifacts unearthed across T?rkiye as well as cultural assets repatriated from overseas. Mrs. Erdogan emphasized that the process of returning cultural assets taken abroad to the people is "an act of restoring historical justice and passing on identity and pride to future generations." In response, Mrs. Kim explained that Korea has also made continuous efforts to repatriate and preserve cultural heritage, and added, "I hope that our two countries, which share a long history and civilization, will cooperate even more closely in the areas of repatriation, preservation, restoration of cultural heritage, and academic exchange."

Finally, Mrs. Kim moved to the presidential residence and agreed to and signed the "Zero Waste" initiative proposed by Mrs. Erdogan.

Viewing photos of Mrs. Erdogan's activities, Mrs. Kim remarked, "I am well aware of your longstanding leadership in the areas of waste reduction and recycling," and expressed her hope that this meeting would serve as an opportunity to further expand environmental cooperation between the two countries.

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