'Bye Bye Plastic' Eco Bag Carried
Same Eco Bag Used During Past Tours
President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Geon-hee departed for a state visit to three Central Asian countries?Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan?on the 10th, heading to Turkmenistan. This tour marks their first trip abroad this year and comes six months after their visit to the Netherlands in December last year.
The presidential couple boarded the Air Force One, the presidential aircraft, at Seongnam Seoul Airport on the morning of the same day. President Yoon wore a dark navy suit with a light gray tie, while Mrs. Kim donned a bright beige skirt suit and carried an eco bag inscribed with the phrase "Bye Bye Plastic bags."
President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee are boarding Air Force One at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province on the 10th, greeting as they depart for visits to three Central Asian countries: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Previously, Mrs. Kim also carried the same eco bag during the Lithuania and Poland visits last year. The "Bye Bye Plastic" campaign is an initiative led by the Ministry of Environment, launched in June last year to reduce plastic usage. This eco bag was first introduced at the campaign launch event held at Korea University SK Future Hall in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on World Environment Day last year, which Mrs. Kim also attended.
Since then, Mrs. Kim has frequently been seen carrying this eco bag regardless of whether she was dressed formally or casually. Notably, during the Poland visit, she gifted the same eco bag along with a Busan Expo keyring to Agata Kornhauser-Duda, the wife of the Polish president. In July last year, she also presented the same item to Yuko Kishida, wife of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida, who attended the NATO spouses’ program in Lithuania.
Mrs. Kim often carries domestic brand bags on overseas trips. During her visits to the United States in April last year and Japan in March last year, she carried a black Hazel bag from the domestic vegan brand "Marhen.J." Priced at 378,000 KRW, this bag is made from eco-friendly materials dyed with eco ink, using "apple leather" processed from apple peels and seeds to resemble leather. The product later became known as the "Kim Geon-hee tour bag," leading to sold-out orders due to high demand.
Additionally, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in San Francisco from November 15 to 18 last year, the official spouse program, the state visit to the United Kingdom on November 20, and the France tour, she showcased a string pouch bag from "GREYYANG." This bag is made by applying multiple layers of lacquer to hanji paper derived from the paper mulberry tree, creating a leather-like texture. It is designed in a pouch shape with a drawstring closure from the top and is priced at 159,000 KRW.
During her visit to Spain in June 2022, when she visited the upcycling store "Ecolf," Mrs. Kim carried the eco bag "Archive Wappen," sold at the Amorepacific Museum of Art. This eco bag is made from leftover fabric scraps produced during the manufacturing of goods by Amorepacific. Since November 2022, she has frequently been seen matching the "Beanie Mini Tote Bag" from the domestic upcycle fashion brand "Hally.K." Mrs. Kim carried this bag during the Indonesia visit in November 2022 and the UAE state visit in January last year. This bag is an upcycled product made from coffee sacks and vegan hanji leather material, priced at 219,000 KRW. Through carrying domestic brand bags on overseas trips, Mrs. Kim promotes K-fashion brands globally while also conveying an eco-friendly message.
Meanwhile, on the 10th, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission concluded a report alleging that Mrs. Kim Geon-hee carried luxury bags with a decision of "no violation." At a briefing at the Government Sejong Complex on the same day, Jeong Seung-yoon, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Anti-Corruption Commission, announced, "Since there are no sanction regulations under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act for spouses of public officials, the case has been closed."
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