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First lady shares temple, hanbok and K-food experience with APEC spouses

Published: 31 Oct. 2025, 15:27 Updated: 01 Nov. 2025, 12:14

SEO JI-EUN
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Korean first lady Kim Hea Kyung, center, and spouses of APEC leaders pose for a photo during their visit to Bulguk Temple in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 31. [YONHAP]

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang — First lady Kim Hye Kyung on Friday invited the spouses of foreign leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, to Bulguk Temple to highlight the spiritual heritage and hospitality of her home country.

Wearing a light green jeogori (jacket) paired with a soft yellow skirt — a traditional hanbok ensemble evoking the serenity of autumn — Kim welcomed six spouses of world leaders. Attendees included Diana Fox Carney of Canada, Amanda Luxon of New Zealand, Louise Araneta Marcos of the Philippines, Ruth Louis of Singapore, Lin Wen-hsuan of Taiwan and Thananon Niramits of Thailand.

Together, they strolled through the Unesco World Heritage temple grounds, listening to monks explain Bulguksa’s thousand-year-old architecture and the Buddhist philosophy behind its twin bridges, Cheongun and Baegun.

“The temple is not just a tourist attraction, but a symbolic bridge linking past and present, reality and idealism,” the presidential office said in a statement. “Hosting the spouses of APEC leaders here represents a journey connecting diverse cultures into one harmonious world.”

Each guest was gifted with a bokjumeoni, or traditional lucky pouch, an idea of Kim's inspired by the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” symbolizing her wish that happiness and warmth will always accompany them, just like the word bok means luck in Korean. The pouches contained hand warmers to prepare for the crisp weather.

A group photo was taken against the backdrop of the temple’s Cheongun and Baegun Bridges, stone stairways said to connect the human and Buddhist realms — chosen to represent “a bridge of friendship linking hearts across nations,” according to the presidential office.

Korean first lady Kim Hea Kyung and spouses of APEC leaders visit Bulguk Temple in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 31. [YONHAP]

Inside Museoljeon Hall, the spouses participated in a hands-on Korean tea and dessert workshop, preparing dasik — bite-sized confections made with roasted soybean powder and honey — accompanied by ujeon green tea. Afterward, they took a moment of silent meditation, eyes closed, as the deep, resonant chime of the Beomjong Pavilion bell echoed through the temple grounds.

“Every step we took on Bulguk Temple’s stone terraces served as a bridge connecting the past and present, East and West, and one person to another,” Kim said. “I hope today’s gathering marks a beautiful beginning for humanity’s path toward coexistence beyond APEC.”

First lady Kim Hea Kyung, center, and spouses of APEC leaders attend the APEC 2025 Korea Spouse Program event at the Wooyang Museum of Contemporary Art in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 31. [YONHAP]

After visiting Bulguksa Temple in the morning, the first lady hosted a cultural luncheon for spouses of APEC leaders at the Wooyang Museum of Contemporary Art in Gyeongju. The program featured traditional Korean cuisine, a live cultural performance, a hanbok fashion show and a special exhibition of media artist Nam June Paik.

"Recently, K-food has been gaining international attention,” Kim said in her welcoming remarks. “I hope today’s meal offers you a taste of togetherness. Through sharing food around one table and savoring the diverse flavors of seasonal ingredients, I wish that you experience the harmony and sincerity that define the Korean way of life."

UPDATE, Oct. 31: Updated with information on the APEC 2025 Korea Spouse Program held in the afternoon.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]