Gyeongju: Donned in the Korean traditional dress hanbok, first lady Kim Hea Kyung hosted a cultural event for spouses of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders at the historic Bulguk Temple in the southeastern city of Gyeongju on Friday, the presidential office said. The gathering, themed "Bridging time, connecting cultures," was attended by spouses of the leaders of Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, as well as the daughter of Taiwan's president.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim personally greeted the guests while introducing the traditional attire. She highlighted the significance of the event by stating, "With every step on Bulguk Temple's stone terraces, we connect the past and present, East and West, and people to people. I hope today's meeting will serve as a beautiful starting point for humanity to walk together toward coexistence beyond the APEC region."
The participants later enjoyed lunch at a nearby art museum, featuring a piano performance and a hanbok fashion show. As a gesture of hospitality, Kim presented the guests with traditional Korean lucky pouches, or bokjumeoni, containing hand warmers, expressing hope for a "small gift to bring warmth, happiness and good fortune." The item was inspired by an accessory featured in the hit Netflix animation "KPop Demon Hunters."
Kim also gifted the guests the film-themed souvenirs, goods from an ancient gold crown exhibition, Korean cosmetics and traditional najeonchilgi gift sets. Najeonchilgi is a traditional Korean handicraft that uses colorful shell inlays to decorate objects.