First Lady Kim Geon-hee Luncheon with Female Lawmakers... Also Reveals Love Story with Yoon

First Solo Official Meeting with Political Figures
Discussions on UAE Tour, Women's Issues, and Climate Change

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Kim Geon-hee, the spouse of President Yoon Seok-yeol, hosted a luncheon on the 27th, inviting 10 female members of the People Power Party. This marks the first time Kim has held an official, private meeting with political figures.

According to political circles, Kim held a luncheon meeting for about two hours from noon at the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, with nine district female lawmakers among the 21 female members of the People Power Party (Kim Young-sun, Kim Jeong-jae, Im I-ja, Kim Mi-ae, Bae Hyun-jin, Yang Geum-hee, Lee In-seon, Jo Eun-hee, Hwang Bo-seung-hee). Proportional representative lawmaker Jo Su-jin also joined, making a total of 10 attendees.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who are visiting Switzerland, visited the Zurich Art Museum on the 19th (local time) and viewed art pieces. Photo by Yonhap News

The luncheon menu consisted of Chinese dishes such as jajangmyeon and chili shrimp.

According to multiple attendees, recent topics included President Yoon and Kim’s 6-night, 8-day tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Switzerland, Kim’s previous social service and artistic activities, women’s social engagement, and climate change. However, it is reported that political issues were not discussed.

Kim reportedly opened the meeting by saying, "I like listening to people's stories," and added, "Please feel comfortable sharing your stories, and I will listen carefully." She also said, "I have seen you all a lot on TV, so I know your faces," and "I know that female lawmakers are working passionately not only in our party but also in other fields."

During the gathering, private conversations also took place, and Kim revealed the reason she decided to marry President Yoon. She said, "(President Yoon) made a good first impression, sings well unlike me, and through the process of seeing his tender heart, I came to know his sincerity and ended up marrying him," adding jokingly, "If not me, there was no one to save (President Yoon)."