First Lady Kim Hye-kyung Fosters Friendship with Wife of Vietnamese Party Secretary: "As Close as Hanbok and Ao Dai"

Kim Hye-kyung, First Lady accompanying President Lee Jae-myung on a state visit to Vietnam, spent time with Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly, wife of the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Vietnam, at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi on the morning of the 23rd (local time), according to Deputy Spokesperson An Gui-ryeong of the Presidential Office.

President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, who are on a state visit to Vietnam, are taking a commemorative photo with Mrs. Ngo Phuong Li, wife of Le Dang Ham, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, at a spousal social event held at the Hanoi Museum of Ethnology on the 23rd (local time). The Ao Dai worn by Mrs. Kim was a gift from Mrs. Ngo Phuong Li. Photo by Yonhap News

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At the event, Mrs. Kim greeted, "It is a pleasure to meet again here in Hanoi following our meeting in Korea last August." In response, Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly said, "This is the first time a foreign leader's spouse has been invited to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology," and added, "We have prepared this occasion to be even more special."

On this day, Mrs. Kim drew attention by wearing a pink ao dai gifted by Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly. During Mrs. Ngo's state visit to Korea last August, she had worn a hanbok given by Mrs. Kim as part of the official schedule. The Presidential Office highlighted this as a symbolic scene demonstrating mutual respect for each other's cultures. Mrs. Ngo remarked, "I also saw the photo posted on social media. The ao dai suits you so well, you truly look like a Vietnamese girl," to which Mrs. Kim replied, "Thank you. You looked even more beautiful in the hanbok you wore last year."

Guided by the director, the two ladies toured artifacts, models, photographs, and videos depicting the traditional culture and daily life of the 54 ethnic groups that make up Vietnam. Observing an exhibit recreating weaving culture, Mrs. Kim commented, "It is very similar to the process of weaving hemp or ramie in Andong, Gyeongbuk, Korea." When viewing the colorful blankets, she remarked, "This is also similar to Korea's wedding gift culture," and Mrs. Ngo responded, "Vietnam has a similar tradition as well." The conversation continued naturally as Mrs. Kim compared a farming tool hung from an ox to a Korean plow, noting the cultural commonalities between the two countries.

The two ladies also visited the Korea Hall, which was opened in 2022 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Mrs. Ngo explained, "The Korea Hall is a very popular space not only among Vietnamese citizens but also among foreign tourists," adding, "It has also made a great impression on Koreans living in Vietnam." While viewing exhibits that reconstructed traditional and modern Korean residences from hanok to apartments, Mrs. Kim said, "I understand this is the largest Korea Hall established overseas by the National Folk Museum of Korea," and added, "I believe this symbolizes the deep friendship between our two countries, beyond being a simple exhibition."

In particular, at Mrs. Ngo’s request for a detailed explanation, Mrs. Kim described each space, such as the sarangbang of a hanok and the kitchen in an apartment. Noticing a gat (Korean traditional hat) placed in the hanok’s sarangbang, Mrs. Kim mentioned that the "Lion Boys" appeared wearing a gat in the Netflix animated film "K-Pop Demon Hunters." Mrs. Ngo also expressed delight at the sight of a recreated Korean kitchen in the apartment, remarking, "It looks just like what you would see in a Korean restaurant." While touring the hanbok experience exhibit, Mrs. Kim expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you for preparing everything so thoughtfully."

Mrs. Kim Hye Kyung and Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly, the wife of the Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, are viewing the exhibits at the Ethnology Museum in Hanoi on the 23rd (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

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Subsequently, the two ladies watched a performance of Vietnamese water puppetry, a representative intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam. Mrs. Ngo introduced the water puppet show as a traditional Vietnamese art, and Mrs. Kim commented, "There are many puppet shows around the world, but those performed on water are truly special." At the end of the performance, a puppet in an ao dai and another in a hanbok danced together, symbolizing the harmony between the two countries.

After the show, Mrs. Kim expressed her wonder, saying, "I was so curious about how the puppets move," and even tried operating a puppet herself. She encouraged the artists, saying, "I hope similar performances can be seen in Korea as well."

That day, the two ladies exchanged broad opinions on shared interests such as cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, and they also greeted foreign tourists at the museum in a friendly manner. Mrs. Kim remarked, "There was so much to see and it was so interesting that I lost track of time," while Mrs. Ngo noted, "To mark the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and Korea's National Folk Museum are preparing a variety of collaborative events."

President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, who are on a state visit to Vietnam, are seen on the 23rd (local time) greeting Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly, wife of Le Hong Van, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, at the spousal diplomatic event held at the Hanoi Museum of Ethnology. The ao dai worn by Mrs. Kim was a gift from Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

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As the schedule concluded, Mrs. Ngo said, "Since my state visit to Korea last year, I have always hoped to visit Korea again." Mrs. Kim responded, "I hope you will visit again to experience all four seasons of Korea, and I too will return to Vietnam." Lastly, Mrs. Kim stated, "I hope that efforts to respect and share each other's traditional cultures, just like with the hanbok and ao dai, will further bring our peoples closer together."

Deputy Spokesperson An said, "Both ladies evaluated this event as a meaningful opportunity to further strengthen the friendship between the two countries and to deeply understand each other's cultures," and added, "They promised to meet again in the future."

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