New orchid hybrid in Singapore named after Lee, first lady

President Lee Jae Myung, center, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, second from left, attend a naming ceremony for an orchid hybrid named after them, hosted by Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, second from right, and his wife, right, at Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Monday (local time). Yonhap

A new orchid hybrid in Singapore was named after President Lee Jae Myung and his wife, Kim Hea Kyung, on Monday to honor Lee's state visit to the Southeast Asian country, Cheong Wa Dae said.

The orchid was named "Vanda Lee Jae Myung Kim Hea Kyung" during a ceremony hosted by Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the ceremonial head of state, at Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters.

"I am truly honored to have this beautiful, fragrant orchid named after me," Lee said during the ceremony, joined by the first lady.

It is a unique diplomatic and cultural tradition in which a new hybrid orchid is officially named after visiting heads of state to promote friendly relations with foreign nations.

According to an official from the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the orchid hybrid features patterns reminiscent of elements of the Korean national flag and can serve as the foundation for developing further hybrids, symbolizing the continued development of relations between Korea and Singapore.