Again carrying that bag... First Lady Kim Geon-hee's '190,000 won Eco-friendly Bag'

Domestic Upcycling Brand Tote Bag
Eco-Friendly Fashion Companies Visit One After Another

President Yoon Suk-yeol, accompanied by First Lady Kim Keon-hee, embarked on a 6-night, 8-day tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Switzerland, drawing significant attention to the bag carried by the First Lady. Upon arriving in Abu Dhabi and disembarking from Air Force One, Kim changed her clothes but kept holding the same bag.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to industry sources on the 16th, the bag Kim carried for the UAE tour is a mini tote bag from the domestic upcycled eco-friendly fashion brand 'Hallykay.' According to the brand's official website, the bag is priced at 199,000 KRW.

This bag is made from coffee sacks and vegan hanji leather material, and the black bag Kim carried is currently sold out.

She Carried the Same Bag Last Year

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee are boarding Air Force One at Seongnam Seoul Airport on the morning of the 14th for a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and attendance at the Davos Forum in Switzerland, greeting people. [Image source=Yonhap News]

This is not the first time the First Lady has used this bag. On November 14 last year (local time), Kim carried the same bag when she visited Eustopia in Bali and met with young environmental activists, the Wizen sisters.

The Wizen sisters, elder Melati and younger Isabel, gained worldwide attention from environmental activists after passing a law banning plastic bag use in Bali, following intense hunger strikes during their youth.

First Lady Kim Keon-hee is meeting with Wizen sisters, young activists engaged in environmental movements, during her visit to Youthtopia located in Bali, Indonesia, on November 14 last year.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

At that time, the sisters introduced Kim to products from the social enterprise 'Mountain Mamas (MM),' which produces bags and fashion accessories from recycled materials. In response, Kim shared her interest in eco-friendly products by showing the bag she uses and a business card wallet made from military tents.

First Lady Kim Keon-hee’s Continuous Eco-Friendly Initiatives

First Lady Kim Keon-hee is visiting Ecolf, an eco-friendly upcycling company located in downtown Madrid, Spain, on June 29 last year, examining products made from waste materials. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, in late June last year, when President Yoon attended the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit in Spain, Kim also visited an upcycled clothing company located in downtown Madrid with him.

At the venue, Kim personally touched the displayed clothing and nodded repeatedly as the staff explained. She stated, "I also try to purchase and use eco-friendly products as much as possible," adding, "As the climate crisis approaches us directly, I hope that eco-friendly companies will increase worldwide."