First Lady Kim Attends Buddhist Year-End Banquet: "Hoping to Unite the Hearts of the People"

“Wisdom and Compassion: The Forces That Illuminate the Path to True Harmony in Our Society”

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, wife of President Lee Jae-myung, attended a year-end event hosted by the Buddhist community and expressed her hopes for national unity, according to Jeon Eun-soo, Deputy Spokesperson for the Presidential Office, on December 13, 2025.

Yonhap News Agency

The previous day, Kim attended the “Year-End Banquet for National Unity with Buddhist Leaders,” hosted by the Korean Council of Buddhist Orders and the Buddhist Leaders Forum at Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul.

The event was attended by more than 130 Buddhist leaders, including Venerable Jinwoo, President of the Jogye Order, and Venerable Deoksu, President of the Cheontae Order. From the Presidential Office, Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik and Chief of AI Future Planning Ha Jeong-woo were also present.

During the banquet, Kim stated, “Buddhism has always been a great light, comforting weary hearts and illuminating the world by the side of the people. I hope today’s gathering will serve as an opportunity to unite the hearts of our people.” She added, “The wisdom to recognize and accept our differences, and the compassion to embrace the pain of our neighbors, are the forces that brightly guide our society toward true harmony.”

She continued, “A lotus flower blooms with a pure fragrance even in the mud. The pain and trials our society is experiencing now will also serve as the foundation for greater progress and unity. In these times, I ask the Buddhist leaders to continue to warmly embrace the hearts of the people. With folded hands, I pray that in the new year, the wisdom and compassion of Buddha will fill both the Buddhist community and all our citizens.”

Venerable Jinwoo also noted that Chief of Staff Kang and Chief Ha serve as advisor and president, respectively, of the Presidential Office’s Buddhist Believers’ Association. Before the banquet, Kim held a tea meeting with Buddhist leaders, exchanging views on the role Buddhism has played in promoting social integration. According to the Deputy Spokesperson, Venerable Jinwoo expressed his gratitude to Kim for quietly fulfilling her responsibilities as First Lady.