Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.
First ladies of Korea, Vietnam engage in friendly exchange
Kim Hea Kyung, right, the first lady of Korea, and Vietnam's first lady Ngo Phuong Ly, visit the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi, Thursday, during a friendly exchange during President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to the Southeast Asian country. Yonhap
By Yi Whan-woo
Kim joins opening of annual Korean Culture and Tourism Festival
HANOI — The first ladies of Korea and Vietnam had a friendly exchange in Hanoi, Thursday, exploring shared cultural ties between the two countries during President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to the Southeast Asian country.
Kim Hea Kyung, the wife of President Lee Jae Myung, and Ngo Phuong Ly, the wife of Vietnam’s top leader To Lam, discussed similarities in weaving, rice farming and bedding as they toured the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, with the conversation often turning to the global popularity of K-pop and other Korean culture.
Kim wore an "ao dai," a traditional Vietnamese dress that the Vietnamese first lady gave as a present, Wednesday.
The two first ladies visited a traditional weaving loom, with Kim pointing out similarities in textile traditions by noting that the Korean equivalent also uses the interlacing of threads to make fabric.
As for the farming exhibits, Kim said Korea produces a lot of rice, as Vietnam does.
She added, “We also use plows in Korea that are pulled by cattle,” and knelt down to take a closer look at the exhibits. She asked if she could touch them, showing strong interest.
During the visit to the bedding exhibits, Kim said it was very similar to Korea and added that the shapes were almost identical.
“In Korea, women traditionally prepared bedding and mattresses when they get married,” she went on to say, pointing to parallels in wedding customs.
First Lady Kim Hea Kyung poses with a K-pop fan wearning a hanbok, as she attends the opening of the 2026 Korean Culture and Tourism Festival at Lotte Mall West Lake Hanoi, Thursday. Yonhap
The two first ladies went to the Korean Pavilion on the same venue, where Kim discussed Korean items such as low tables.
Seeing a "gat," or traditional Korean men’s hat, she said, “This appeared in 'KPop Demon Hunters,' worn by the Saja Boys,” referring to the Academy Award-winning Netflix animated feature.
As for multicolored "saekdong" hanbok, or traditional Korean clothing, she asked her Vietnamese counterpart, “Don’t they resemble the colors of Vietnamese bedding?”
They then moved on to attend an outdoor water puppet performance, as foreign tourists greeted the two first ladies along the way.
Kim asked whether she looked good in an ao dai, drawing applause and cheers from the tourists.
After the friendly exchange, Kim said, “I hope that, through this shared experience of me wearing an ao dai for the first time, it can become an opportunity to bring the people of our two countries closer together.”
Kim also attended the opening of the 2026 Korean Culture and Tourism Festival at Lotte Mall West Lake Hanoi later in the day.
The event is held annually, showcasing cuisine, dramas, cosmetics and other aspects of Korean culture in a vibrant and accessible way, as part of efforts to capitalize on the growing number of international tourists in the country.
The opening proceeded in a format in which Kim moved through various sections labeled in Korean and Vietnamese, where booths offered hands-on experiences, samples of foods and beauty products as well as live demonstrations.