Confections, Culture Kept Yoon’s Wife Busy During Japan Visit

By Takayuki Nakagawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

14:05 JST, March 18, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s wife Kim Keon Hee attracted some of the headlines during her stay in Japan this week, when she accompanied her husband on his trip to the country for a summit with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Kim, 50, is a popular figure in South Korea, where fans run a website dedicated to her fashion sense.

After arriving in Tokyo on Thursday, Kim visited the prime minister’s official residence and made Japanese sweets with Kishida’s wife, Yuko, according to the South Korean presidential office.

Kim gave Yuko a gift of traditional South Korean sweets and invited her to South Korea.

The two wives last met in November when Indonesia hosted the Group of 20 summit meeting.

On Friday, Kim had a lunch meeting with architect Tadao Ando and asked for his cooperation in the construction of an art museum in South Korea.

Ando reportedly expressed his belief that the two countries should expand exchanges in various fields, including architecture.

In 2016, Kim reportedly invited Ando to an event linked to an exhibition dedicated to the work of French architect Le Corbusier in Seoul.

Kim, who used to head an exhibition planning company, has been in contact with the acclaimed architect ever since, according to Yonhap News Agency.