Introducing 155 Children's Works
"Hope It Becomes an Opportunity to Reflect on the Meaning of Peace"
First Lady Kim Keon-hee visited the "Children Drawing Hope: Ukrainian Children's Art Exhibition" held at the Blue House Chunuchu-gwan on the 21st, and took a commemorative photo holding messages with the children attending the event. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The Presidential Office announced that First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, visited the "Children Drawing Hope: Ukrainian Children's Art Exhibition" held at the Blue House Chunghwacang on the 21st, which will run until July 3.
The Ukrainian children's art exhibition began last July during a meeting between First Lady Kim and Olena Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, following Zelenska's request to "protect our dying children and animals." The exhibition features 155 works by Ukrainian children aged 10 to 12.
On the day, First Lady Kim said in her greeting, "In Ukraine, our angelic children live in daily fear as sudden explosions occur in their playgrounds and schools. I experienced the war firsthand in Ukraine, which I had only seen in videos," and added, "I hope this serves as an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the importance of respecting life and world peace," according to a written briefing by Presidential Office spokesperson Kim Soo-kyung.
On July 12 last year (local time), as part of the NATO Spouses Program in Lithuania, First Lady Kim attended the Ukraine Center and viewed the Ukrainian children's art exhibition. After viewing the exhibition, she told First Lady Zelenska, "I feel the pure hearts of children yearning for peace and hope. I want to bring that spirit to Korea," expressing her intention to hold an exhibition in Korea.
Three days later, on July 15 last year (local time), during a visit to Warsaw, Poland, President Yoon and his wife made a surprise visit to neighboring Ukraine and witnessed the horrors of war in Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, where many civilians were massacred. First Lady Kim visited the Kyiv Child Rights Protection Center with First Lady Zelenska and met children who had been abducted by Russia and returned.
One child who was abducted by Russia and returned placed a dog sticker named "Patron" on the back of First Lady Kim's hand. Patron is a mine-detection dog that found over 200 explosives through mine detection activities in the northeastern city of Chernihiv during the Ukraine war, preventing casualties, and was awarded a merit medal by President Zelenskyy.
First Lady Kim: "Korea Will Help Rebuild Ukrainian Cities"
During a meeting at the Mariinsky Palace with First Lady Zelenska, First Lady Kim said, "When I visited the Ukraine Center in Lithuania, I was deeply moved by the drawings of refugee children," adding, "Each child has become a journalist in their own way, revealing the horrors of war. I believe not only children but also adults who have experienced the war's horrors should be supported in overcoming trauma through activities like drawing."
At that time, President Zelenskyy and his wife invited President Yoon and his wife to St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. Completed in 1037 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the cathedral narrowly escaped Russian shelling. First Lady Zelenska said, "No leader has yet visited this cathedral. We invited the Korean presidential couple first. As a First Lady who values culture, please help with cultural restoration," earnestly requesting assistance.
In a separate conversation with First Lady Zelenska, First Lady Kim said, "Ukraine is the country of world-renowned pianist Vladimir Horowitz, and Ukraine's beautiful natural environment and culture are the background that nurtured such a genius musician," adding, "It is very regrettable that Ukraine's beautiful natural environment and cultural assets are being lost due to the war." She continued, "Korea also experienced the horrors of war but has since grown at one of the fastest rates in the world to reach where it is today," and said, "Korea's know-how and the strong spirit of Koreans can help Ukraine's rapid urban reconstruction."
First Lady Kim Keon-hee is watching a video message related to the exhibition by the First Lady of Ukraine at the 'Children Drawing Hope: Ukrainian Children's Art Exhibition' held at the Blue House Chunuchu-gwan on the 21st. [Image source=Yonhap News]
According to the Presidential Office, discussions on exhibition cooperation between the cultural ministries of the two countries began in August, shortly after the meeting between First Lady Kim and First Lady Zelenska in July last year. However, promoting an exhibition with war-torn Ukraine was never easy. Due to instability within Ukraine, limited communication means, and risks in transporting artworks, there were several crises where the exhibition was nearly halted.
Later, in December last year, the exhibition proposal and list were submitted, and between March and April this year, memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and exhibition contracts were signed between relevant institutions of both countries, enabling this exhibition to take place. The Presidential Office explained, "This is an achievement resulting from the efforts of the First Ladies of Korea and Ukraine to raise awareness of children's human rights issues and trauma caused by the war and to support healing, along with close cooperation between the two governments."
Additionally, First Lady Zelenska expressed her gratitude in a video message, saying, "The visit of President Yoon and his wife to war-torn Ukraine last July was a sign of friendship and solidarity," and thanked First Lady Kim, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, the Embassy of Ukraine in Korea, and all related parties for holding the exhibition of Ukrainian children's works in Korea.
First Lady Kim personally wrote a message on stationery titled "Children Drawing Hope," stating, "I pray that the message of hope shown in the drawings of Ukrainian children will blossom into world peace." After writing the message, she took commemorative photos holding a peace message with the children, wishing for the happiness, health, and hope of Ukrainian children. Afterwards, she viewed a drawing of the mine-detection dog Patron with a Ukrainian child sitting beside her.
The event was attended by Ukrainian exhibition officials including Ambassador Dmytro Ponomarenko and his wife, UNICEF Korea Committee Vice Chairpersons Choi Byung-oh and Kim Eun-sun, ambassador actress Soyu-jin, and 10 multinational children including Ukrainian children.
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