First ladies to do their part to strengthen Seoul-Washington ties

Kim Jung-sook

By Rachel Lee

One interesting aspect of the upcoming summit between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump is how their wives will do their part to bring the countries closer.

The two are known to be quite different in character.Korea’s first lady Kim Jung-sook will be greeted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s wife Melania Trump, who will accompany her for part of her stay here.

Kim, who worked at Seoul Metropolitan Chorus after studying vocal music at Kyung Hee University, went to Busan to support her husband President Moon Jae-in when he began his career as a lawyer.

Melania Trump

Born in Slovenia, Melania Trump studied design and architecture at the University of Ljubljana before advancing her modeling career in Milan and Paris. She married Donald Trump in 2005.

The media has dubbed Kim, always seen beaming during the election campaign, the “pleasant lady Jung-sook,” referring to her bright personality that complements her husband’s sometimes brusque character.

Kim did not wear “hanbok,” the traditional Korean attire, at the inauguration ceremony. She wore a white dress on May 10 _ an unconventional outfit that showed she may not stick to the conventional character of the country’s previous first ladies.

In contrast, Melania has maintained a relatively low public profile since her husband’s inauguration in January, appearing on just a few key occasions.

There is speculation whether the two will get along but Cheong Wa Dae believes Kim’s lively personality could play a role in first lady diplomacy with the U.S. first lady.

The good news is that Melania has begun to appear in public _ during high-level visits of the king and queen of Jordan, and the Chinese president and his wife.

Fashion diplomacy is also gaining attention.

The U.S. first lady chose a simple, over-the-knee red dress at a China-U.S. summit in April _ her deliberate choice of red was interpreted as a diplomatic meaning: a symbolic color in China that represents happiness and luck.

Kim is reportedly considering her outfit for the summit with advice from the foreign ministry.

Apart from activities with Melania, Kim is expected to meet people living in the U.S. and visit education and welfare facilities.

Former President Lee Myung-bak’s wife Kim Yoon-ok visited childcare facilities for low-income families and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington in 2008.

Late former President Roh Moo-hyun’s wife Kwon Yang-sook met teachers at a Korean language center in New York in 2003.