'Same Clothes, Different Fashion'... First Lady Kim Geon-hee's 'Outfit Recycling' Draws Attention

Wearing a Dress from Spain Again in Indonesia
Presidential Office: "Spreading an Environmental Protection Message"

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, attracted attention by wearing an outfit during her recent visit to Indonesia that she had also worn during her trip to Spain last year. The presidential office explained that Kim often reuses her outfits.

First Lady Kim Keon-hee is attending the ASEAN Summit Gala Dinner held on the 6th (local time) at a park near Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta. The photo on the right shows First Lady Kim wearing a white dress during her visit to Spain last June. [Photo by Joint Press Corps, provided by the Presidential Office]

During the visit to Jakarta, Indonesia with President Yoon, First Lady Kim wore a white dress at the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) gala dinner on the 6th. The presidential office stated that this dress was the same one she wore at the gala dinner hosted by the King of Spain in Madrid in June last year.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, dressed in traditional Indonesian attire, are entering the ASEAN Summit gala dinner held at Hutan Park near Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on the 6th (local time). 2023.9.7 / Photo by Joint Coverage

On this visit to Indonesia, she added a twist by draping a traditional Indonesian garment called 'batik' around her neck like a scarf. On her handbag, she attached a keychain wishing for the successful bid of the 2030 Busan World Expo. Her shoes were purchased from 'Anthony,' a mid-range brand located in the handmade shoe district of Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul.

First Lady Kim also wore the same yellow jacket during her meeting with a Dubai princess in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in January and at the Korean Sign Language Day ceremony in February. The presidential office reported that she wore the same beige jacket during her hospital visit in Cambodia last November and at an event with future scientists in December.

A presidential office official told Yonhap News Agency, "By reusing the dress, she conveyed a message of environmental protection while also choosing shoes from a small and medium-sized brand, thereby serving as a promotional ambassador for the domestic fashion industry."