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| First lady Kim Keon-hee shakes hands with U.S. President Joe Biden in the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, Seoul, near the presidential office, Saturday. Courtesy of Presidential Office |
First ladies' pet projects vary from advocacy for the underprivileged to culinary diplomacy
By Kang Hyun-kyung
President Yoon Suk-yeol's summit diplomacy with visiting U.S. President Joe Biden has sparked curiosity among Koreans about Yoon's wife, Kim Keon-hee. People are wondering if there is a role she can play as first lady to strengthen ties between the two countries.
However, it seems there is little she can do about this during the current visit by the American head of state. Kim has no official schedule related to the Korea-U.S. summit. She was initially expected to attend a welcome dinner her husband will host for Biden, which will be held later today in the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District near the presidential office.
The presidential office, however, denied this on Saturday, noting Kim won't be part of the dinner. "The first lady will briefly greet U.S. President Biden and then leave the venue without attending the dinner," an official from the presidential office said on condition of anonymity.
"It's known that she tries to keep a low profile, so she chose not to have any official schedule during the summit. Maybe that's why she'll skip the dinner, I guess."
Kim met Biden briefly in the museum on Saturday. She shook hands with the U.S. president near the entrance of the museum as he entered. After a brief conversation with Biden, Kim accompanied her husband, President Yoon and Biden when the three were ushered through some exhibitions there. The historic 10-story stone pagoda from the Gyeongcheon Temple site and a gold crown from the North Mound of Hwangnamdaechong tomb are two of the South Korean cultural assets that they looked at together. Then Kim left the museum as President Yoon and U.S. President Biden headed for the state dinner.
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| U.S. President Joe Biden is seen speaking in the National Museum of Korea on Saturday before a state dinner held there. President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee listened to Biden. Courtesy of Presidential Office |
The first lady's ceremonial role without any official duties in the summit is partly because of the absence of her counterpart, Mrs. Jill Biden. The U.S. first lady is not accompanying her husband's first Asia visit since he was inaugurated as president last year.
When the leaders of two countries engage in tough, sometimes thorny bilateral issues in summit diplomacy to narrow their differences for the joint statement that will come out afterward, their spouses usually engage in friendly interactions with each other.
"There is no specific, written role that the first lady is supposed to play during a summit as their presence on the diplomatic scene is, in most cases, ceremonial," former Vice Foreign Minister Shin Gak-soo said. "But some first ladies find a role in public diplomacy. They give special lectures, or engage in charity events or deal with issues related to children."
Mrs. Biden, a community college educator and best-selling author, is one of those first ladies who has her own specific role. According to the White House, she has focused on reaching out to all Americans. She has travelled to 60 cities and three countries since her husband was inaugurated as president of the United States. "She has continued championing the causes that have defined her public life: is supporting military families, advocating for increased educational opportunities and working to end cancer as we know it," according to the White House website.
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| Kim Yoon-ok, second from right, then first lady, demonstrates making Korean seafood pancake in Long Islands, the United States, in this Sept. 22, 2009 file photo. Korean War veterans and their families |
Pet projects
In Korea, the role of first lady in summit diplomacy has varied from advocacy for the poor to culinary diplomacy as each first lady has focused on their own initiatives.
The late Lee Hee-ho, the wife of the late former President Kim Dae-jung who led the country from 1998 to 2003, was an advocate for the underprivileged. When she accompanied her husband on state visits, she sought out social service organizations. She visited hospitals, schools and met staff working there to fulfill her role in public diplomacy. During her 24 overseas visits as first lady, Lee also tried to reach out to members of the Korean Diaspora in the local communities. Korean adoptees were some of the people she met to hear their stories and discover ways to help them out.
Kwon Yang-sook, the widow of the late President Roh Moo-hyun who succeeded Kim, spent most of her trips encouraging teachers and staff at Korean language centers. During her 25 foreign visits, she met those who were involved in Korean language institutes 20 times.
Compared to her predecessors, Kim Yoon-ok, the wife of now jailed President Lee Myung-bak, was a rare first lady who had a clear understanding of her own pet project.
Throughout her husband's tenure, Kim served as a self-appointed goodwill ambassador for Korean food. While previous first ladies visited or met people related to their interests or focus randomly when their spouses engaged in summitry, Kim consistently focused on her mission aimed at letting the world know about Korean cuisine, or hansik in Korean.
She worked closely with the agriculture ministry to raise the global profile of Korean food by hosting events, as well as acting on her own initiatives, such as a plan to establish a high-end Korean restaurant in New York ― a project that was not realized after backfiring due to alleged budget waste. During her 28 overseas trips as first lady, she mostly met with the families of Korean embassy staff and Korean language schools teachers.
Kim Jung-sook, the wife of former President Moon Jae-in, had a very different focus than her predecessors. During the 30 times she accompanied her husband on state visits, Kim spent most of her time visiting art museums, watching art performances or visiting tourist sites. She met with the family members of Korean embassy staff three times.
