First Lady Kim Hye Kyung, wife of President Lee Jae Myung, poses for a photo with tourists dressed in hanbok during her visit to Gyochon Village in Gyeongju on October 30. Kim has been attending events and meeting with citizens in traditional Korean attire throughout the APEC summit period to promote the beauty and elegance of hanbok. (Photo provided by the Presidential Office)
GYEONGJU, South Korea, Oct. 30 (Korea Bizwire) – First lady Kim Hea Kyung has been spotlighting the elegance of traditional Korean attire by wearing and promoting hanbok during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju.
On Thursday, Kim held a tea meeting with five hanbok designers and expressed her appreciation for their efforts in showcasing its beauty.
Pledging her own commitment to its promotion, Kim said, “I will help elevate its global stature by wearing it on official occasions in and out of the country,” according to the presidential office.
After the tea meeting, the first lady, dressed in a striking hanbok featuring a white upper garment and a crimson skirt, walked through the streets of Gyeongju, greeting tourists and citizens, and posing for photos with them.
First Lady Kim Hye Kyung tours the Daeungjeon Hall with spouses of world leaders during the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ spouses’ cultural program held at Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju on October 31. (Yonhap)
The choice of attire was also a nod to diplomacy. Earlier in the day, Kim met with Diana Fox Carney, the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. For the meeting, she chose an outfit with a color scheme similar to the symbolic colors of the Canadian flag.
The first lady’s advocacy for hanbok was also on display Wednesday when she attended a hanbok fashion show held in front of a scenic bridge in the historic southeastern city.
(Yonhap)
