Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
First lady supports Moon's diplomacy with amiability
First lady Kim Jung-sook, second from left, smiles while meeting U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's son Wilfred, during a spouse and partner program at the Group of Seven Summit in Cornwall, U.K., Saturday (local time). Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
By Nam Hyun-woo, Joint Press Corps
First lady Kim Jung-sook is supporting President Moon Jae-in's diplomacy during his ongoing trip to European countries with her amiable and outgoing personality.
While Moon is busy meeting with world leaders, Kim is in performing her own delicate diplomatic mission by lightening up solemn moments with her sparkle, as well as taking care of a soft agenda such as art, biodiversity and culture.
Kim visited the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna in Austria, Monday, along with Austrian first lady Doris Schmidauer, as part of Moon's campaign to preserve biodiversity.
During the visit, Kim presented traditional Korean hand plows to researchers there. The hand plows, engraved with each researcher's name, are called “homi” in Korean, and have been gaining attention among Western gardeners in recent years for the tool's handy size.
“Homi is a traditional tool of Korea and a fast-selling item on Amazon,” Kim said, demonstrating how to use it and drawing interest from the people assembled there.
While accompanying Schmidauer to Kunsthistorisches Museum, she also broke the ice by mentioning Korean TV shows and K-pop.
First lady Kim Jung-sook, left, demonstrates how to use “homi,” Korea's traditional hand plow, during her visit to the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna in Austria, Monday (local time). On the right is Austrian first lady Doris Schmidauer. Yonhap
Kim's ability to hobnob was seen while spending time with the spouses of Group of Seven leaders in Cornwall, U.K.
Kim told U.S. first lady Jill Biden that she and Moon appreciated the warm welcome the White House gave them during the Korea-U.S. summit last month. The U.S. first lady invited Kim to the U.S., as she had not accompanied Moon during the U.S. summit.
First lady Kim Jung-sook, right, poses with her U.S. counterpart, Jill Biden, after a spouse and partner program at the Group of Seven Summit in Cornwall, U.K., Saturday (local time). Yonhap
Also, Kim greeted Mariko Suga, the wife of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, which gained keen attention due to chilled Seoul-Tokyo relations.
Although her attempt did not yield favorable responses or lead to a meeting, it was interpreted as an effort to mend bilateral relations frayed by disputes over history and territory.
Moon left a tweet saying, “The first encounter with Prime Minister Suga was a precious moment which can be a new start for the two countries relations, but it is regretful that it did not result in a meeting.”
Prime Minister Suga later told Japanese media outlets that “it is not an environment to (have a summit with the Korean President) with unmet promises between countries remaining.” This was interpreted as Japan's stance that Korea should suggest a solution to resolve soured bilateral ties following a 2018 Korean Supreme Court ruling that ordered Japanese firms to compensate surviving South Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor.
Kim and Moon are now in Spain for a state visit. Separate from Moon, Kim is attending a number of events supporting cultural exchanges and the rights of disabled people.