Reporter Kayla Lee

First Lady Kim Keon-hee participated in the NATO Summit Spouses’ Program on July 12, local time. The program included spouses of heads of state from Ukraine, Japan, France, Turkey, Greece, Poland, and others.

Invited by the First Lady of Lithuania, Diana Nausėdienė, and the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, Kim Keon-hee met with Ukrainian children, women, and youth at the Ukrainian Center in Vilnius. 

The Ukrainian Center, which opened in June 2022, is the first center for Ukrainian refugees within EU member states, providing temporary childcare, children's education, cultural lectures, counseling, and more to Ukrainian refugees.

After meeting with Zelenska again since her visit to Ukraine in May, Kim Keon-hee expressed her support for Ukraine and the freedom of the Ukrainian people. 

After visiting an exhibition of children's artwork at the Ukrainian Center, she stated, "I can feel the pure hearts of children filled with peace and hope. I want to convey that sentiment to Korea." She also expressed her intention to promote an exhibition of the artwork in Korea and support Ukrainian refugees through donations from potential art purchases.

Kim Keon-hee empathized with the war experiences of Ukrainian refugees and their stories of escape to Lithuania. After listening to the Ukrainian Center children's choir performance, she remarked, "We can feel the strong determination of Ukrainians who continue to live courageously without losing hope."

Furthermore, Kim, along with NATO Summit spouses, visited the Grand Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania to explore its history, culture, and daily life. Kim stated, "Cultural arts, which encompass a nation's way of life, values, and mindset, are the best medium for understanding its people." 

Following the palace tour, the spouses had a lunch together at the Baroque library within the palace.

During the spouses’ program, Kim Keon-hee warmly reunited with Yuko Kishida from Japan, Brigitte Macron from France, and Emine Erdoğan from Turkey. She also expressed her commitment to enhancing exchanges between South Korea and Slovakia, with Júlia Reitzlman, the partner of the Slovak President.

Kim Keon-hee also expressed gratitude to Diana Nausėdienė for organizing this meaningful spouses’ program. Diana Nausėdienė mentioned that her daughter, Ugne, had studied in Korea and had fond memories of the country.