President Lee's Arrow Strikes the Wall Beyond the Target... First Lady Kim Also Tries Mongolian Archery

President Jae-myung Lee, on a state visit to Mongolia, is shooting a traditional bow at the Ulaanbaatar Nadam Festival on the 11th (local time). On the right is Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh. 2026.7.11 Yonhap News Photo by Yonhap

President Lee Jae-myung, currently on a state visit to Mongolia, attended the opening ceremony of Mongolia's largest traditional festival, "Naadam," on the 11th (local time), where he watched the festivities and personally took part in archery.

President Lee participated as the guest of honor at the Naadam Festival held at the National Sports Stadium in Ulaanbaatar that day and visited the traditional archery arena. Accompanying him were President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, and First Lady Bolorlech. Naadam is Mongolia's largest festival, and this marks the first time a South Korean head of state has participated as the guest of honor.

As President Lee and his wife entered the stadium, they waved to the crowd, who responded with enthusiastic cheers. Upon entering the arena, President Lee stepped up to the archery lane to experience archery firsthand. He received the bow from President Khurelsukh and drew the string firmly. The arrow flew past the target and struck the wall behind it, prompting applause and cheers from President Khurelsukh and the audience.

Yonhap News Agency

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung also participated in the archery event. With assistance from a Mongolian official, she placed an arrow on the bowstring, which drew laughter and cheers from the crowd. The arrow released by First Lady Kim fell short of the target, landing midway. Afterwards, President Lee and First Lady Kim shook hands with Mongolian athletes and officials and waved to the spectators.

Earlier, before visiting the arena, President Lee watched the opening ceremony for about two hours alongside President Khurelsukh. Dressed in traditional attire, President Khurelsukh said in his opening remarks, "I am grateful that President Lee Jae-myung is attending as the representative of the Republic of Korea," to which President Lee and First Lady Kim responded with applause.

President Lee then observed the torch-lighting ceremony performed by dancers in the "Dance of Fire," as well as the opening show featuring mounted cavalry. During the performances, President Lee was seen using binoculars to observe the events or conversing with President Khurelsukh.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.