By Lee Min-hyung, Joint Press Corps
SEOUL/PYONGYANG ― South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook visited a children's hospital and a college of music in Pyongyang on her first day in North Korea on Tuesday on the sidelines of the inter-Korean summit there.
Ri Sol-ju, the wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accompanied Kim on her schedule in Pyongyang, South Korea's presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan said Tuesday in a media briefing.
“As of 2:30 p.m., the South Korean first lady will visit the North's Okryu Children's Hospital, and she will engage in some sports activities with Ri and the children there,” Yoon said.
Her schedule at the hospital includes a field trip to X-ray and computed tomography imaging facilities there, according to the secretary.
After completing the hospital, she and Ri plan to make their way to a Pyongyang music school. The plan was organized as part of efforts for the first ladies of the two Koreas to strengthen their emotional bond, as both figures studied vocal music when they were university students.
Kim Jung-sook will also attend music classes during the trip to the Kim Won-gyun Conservatory, the North's most renowned music school. The school's president, Choe Tae-hyung, will welcome her and show her the major facilities there.
The South Korean first lady will enjoy an orchestral performance, but the schedule may change slightly, Yoon added.
The South Korean cultural delegation ― including rapper Zico, R&B singer Ailee and composer Kim Hyung-seok ― will also join the first lady's visit to the music school, according to the secretary.
This is the second time the first ladies of the two Koreas have met. Their first meeting took place on April 27 during the first inter-Korean summit at the border village of Panmunjeom.
At that time, Ri said she felt a bond with the South Korean first lady because of their similar educational backgrounds. “We feel emotionally close to each other, as we both studied vocal music when we were university students,” she said.
The ongoing three-day-long inter-Korean summit is part of a follow-up to the April 27 Panmunjeom Declaration when the two leaders agreed to hold a summit in Pyongyang sometime this fall.
On Tuesday morning, President Moon and the first lady arrived in Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang. The young leader from the North and Ri warmly welcomed Moon and his wife.
Kim Jung-sook expressed gratitude to the North Korean leader for kindly guiding the South Korean delegation's trip to Pyongyang.