Kim Hye-kyung Shares Homemade Traditional Korean Sweets Like Songhwa Dasik with Korean-Japanese Artists

Kim Hye-kyung: "I sincerely support your future activities."
A time capsule filled with dreams and hopes for Korea-Japan exchange
Participants: "We will continue to serve as a bridge between the two countries through art."

Kim Hye-kyung, who is visiting Japan with President Lee Jaemyung, held a meeting with Korean-Japanese artists in Nara Prefecture, Japan, on January 13. According to Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Jeon Eunsu, they discussed the significance of cultural and artistic exchanges between Korea and Japan and shared their thoughts on the future direction of such exchanges.

Yonhap News Agency

This meeting was organized to encourage Korean artists who were born and raised in Japan and are active in their respective fields, and to explore the potential for cultural exchange that connects the two countries.

On this day, Kim Hye-kyung personally shared traditional Korean sweets that she had made the previous day with the participants as a gesture of welcome. The prepared sweets included traditional Korean treats such as songhwa dasik, jat yeot, saengran, yullan, and yakgwa. The attendees expressed their gratitude with enthusiastic applause, touched by Kim Hye-kyung's thoughtfulness.

The participants introduced their ongoing Korea-Japan cultural exchange activities in their respective fields and expressed their desire to continue serving as a bridge between the two countries through art. They also agreed that exchanges should not be limited to one-off events, but should be structured so that both sides collaborate from the planning stage. They emphasized the need to expand the foundation for mutual understanding and respect for each other's cultures in everyday life, such as in schools and local communities. In addition, they shared the view that art has the power to slowly permeate people's hearts and foster understanding, rather than bringing about immediate change.

Yonhap News Agency

During the meeting, the artists created a time capsule with Kim Hye-kyung, containing their dreams and hopes for Korea-Japan exchange. Concluding the meeting, Kim Hye-kyung said, "You are all invaluable bridges between the two countries. I wish you could be recognized both in Korea and Japan, but I know very well how difficult that can be and how challenging the process is." She added, "Although our time together was short, it was meaningful. I sincerely support your future activities and hope we can meet again in Korea."