First Lady Kim Geon-hee's Solo Activities in Spain Draw Attention, Including Delivering a 'Message'

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Stepping Out of Quiet Support Role to First Lady Activities

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, is visiting the Spain-Korea Cultural Center in Madrid on the 28th (local time) to attend the K-Fashion exhibition.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Kim Geon-hee, wife of President Yoon Seok-yeol, is expanding her activities on the occasion of the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit. Following her participation in the spouses' program for heads of state, she has begun delivering messages on art, climate crisis, and human rights, areas she has long been interested in. This is interpreted as her stepping out of a quiet supportive role to embark on a full-fledged 'First Lady' path.

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, visited Ecolf, an eco-friendly upcycling company located in downtown Madrid, Spain, on the 29th (local time), where she examined products made from waste materials. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 29th (local time), as part of the official spouses' program organized by Spain, the host country of the NATO summit, Kim visited the San Ildefonso Palace and the Royal Glass Factory near Madrid, as well as the National Museum of Art, Reina Sof?a, together with the wives of various heads of state. At this event, she met Jill Biden, wife of U.S. President Joe Biden, and said, "Mrs. Biden's visit to Ukraine resonated significantly in Korea," adding, "I was moved by her courage and warmth in going alone without her husband," naturally bringing up the topic of human rights in Ukraine. Earlier, Mrs. Biden had personally visited the Uzhhorod region of Ukraine after stops in Romania and Slovakia last month.

Kim then admired textile artworks inside San Ildefonso Palace with Emine Erdo?an, wife of Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, President of T?rkiye (Turkey), expressing interest by saying, "I understand that T?rkiye, as a cradle of civilization, has a long history and rich cultural heritage, and that textile-related arts and technologies are highly developed."

President Yoon Suk-yeol (second from the left in the photo) and First Lady Kim Keon-hee (far right in the photo) are posing with King Felipe VI of Spain (second from the right in the photo) and the queen at the Royal Palace of Madrid, where the NATO summit dinner was held on the 28th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, attended a dinner hosted by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain at the Royal Palace in Madrid on the 28th (local time) and took a commemorative photo with Dr. Jill Biden, wife of U.S. President Joe Biden. / Photo by the Office of the President [Image source=Yonhap News]

After the spouses' program ended, Kim held a solo schedule by visiting the eco-friendly upcycling store Ecolf in downtown Madrid and conducted a meeting. The Presidential Office explained that this was arranged to hear about the current status of the 'sustainable fashion' industry and to discover exemplary environmental policies utilizing waste such as discarded plastics and marine debris. When a company representative explained the slogan "There is no second planet for Earth" to Kim during her visit, she responded, "I also try to purchase and use eco-friendly products as much as possible," and added, "As the climate crisis approaches our doorstep, I hope more companies worldwide will share Ecolf's perspective and empathy."

On the previous day, the 28th, before the gala (welcome) dinner hosted by King Felipe VI of Spain, Kim made a separate solo visit to the Korean Cultural Center in Spain for about 40 minutes. After viewing the exhibited fusion hanbok and craft rooms for Korean language learners, she said, "K-Culture, K-Culture, and K-Cuisine are currently thriving in Spain, and I believe all of this is thanks to the efforts of the Korean Cultural Center staff, who have been here for 11 years," adding, "I could clearly feel how proud those present here are in promoting and raising awareness of Korea. I would appreciate it if you continue to work hard."

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, attended a dinner hosted by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain at the Royal Palace in Madrid on the 28th (local time). She is taking a commemorative photo with Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo by the Presidential Office [Image source=Yonhap News]

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, attended a dinner hosted by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain at the Royal Palace in Madrid on the 28th (local time) and took a commemorative photo with Mrs. Agata Kornhauser-Duda, wife of Polish President Andrzej Duda. / Photo by the Office of the President [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who accompanied President Yoon Suk-yeol to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, toured the Royal Glass Factory with other leaders' spouses in Madrid, Spain, on the 29th (local time). Photo by Spanish Royal Family Twitter capture [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the third day of her visit to Spain on the 29th (local time), First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, visited the San Ildefonso Palace located northwest of Madrid, the capital, following the official program prepared by the Spanish royal family for the spouses of NATO summit participant leaders, and had a conversation with Dr. Jill Biden, wife of U.S. President Joe Biden.
[Photo by Yonhap News]