What did First Lady Kim Hea Kyung say to Korean women from Mindan during their meeting?

Kim thanked the women for supporting Korea when it was in trouble and cheering for its growth and development. She said their enduring love had helped make Korea what it is today and that the country would cherish its gratitude.

First lady Kim meets with Korean women in Japan

Q: Why is there a large Korean community in Japan?

The article says the community is partly a legacy of Japan’s colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. During that period, many Koreans moved to Japan for education and work.

Q: Which organization’s women’s division met with Kim Hea Kyung?

The women were members of the women’s division of the Korean Residents Union in Japan, also known as Mindan in Korean. They met with Kim at an afternoon tea gathering.

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Summary

First Lady Kim Hea Kyung met Tuesday with women from the Korean Residents Union in Japan, known as Mindan, during an afternoon tea meeting and praised their contributions to Korea. She thanked them for supporting the country through difficult times and celebrating its development. Kim said their enduring love had helped shape Korea and welcomed their visit. The article notes that Japan’s large Korean community is partly a legacy of colonial rule from 1910 to 1945.

Key Facts

Kim is the wife of President Lee Jae Myung.
The women were members of Mindan’s women’s division.
Kim said, “We will cherish our gratitude for a long time.”
Many Koreans moved to Japan for education and work during Japan’s colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 10, 2026 5:13 pm KST

First lady Kim Hea Kyung speaks during a meeting with members of the women's division of the Korean Residents Union in Japan at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

First lady Kim Hea Kyung met Tuesday with female members of an association representing Korean residents in Japan and praised the group's contributions to the development of their home country.

Kim, wife of President Lee Jae Myung, made the remarks during an afternoon tea meeting with members of the women's division of the Korean Residents Union in Japan, also known as "Mindan" in Korean.

The first lady thanked the compatriots for their service to their home country, saying, "You have worried about and lent support when Korea was in trouble and cheered more enthusiastically than anyone when it grew and developed."

The first lady said the compatriots' enduring love had helped make Korea what it is today.

"We will cherish our gratitude for a long time," she said, welcoming their visit to their home country.

Japan has a large Korean community, partly a legacy of Japan's colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945, during which many Koreans moved to Japan for education and work.

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