President Lee Receives Two Ponies as Gifts at Farewell Luncheon in Mongolian Ger

President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung received a surprise gift of ponies from Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh on the 11th (local time), symbolizing the Korea-Mongolia Golden Era.

According to a written briefing by Kang Yoo-jung, Senior Presidential Spokesperson, President Lee and First Lady Kim attended a farewell luncheon hosted by President Khurelsukh and his wife, where they were presented with the ponies. At the event, President Lee and the First Lady named the mare "Rainbow" and the stallion "Gold." The two ponies will be raised in Mongolia.

President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung are watching the opening ceremony of the Naadam Festival at the National Sports Stadium in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on July 11, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

Senior Spokesperson Kang explained, "The names were chosen to signify the opening of a Golden Era between Korea and Mongolia, marked by the summit and state visit. The inspiration comes from Mongolia being known as the 'Land of the Blue Sky' and Korea as the 'Land of the Rainbow.'"

The luncheon was the final official event of President Lee's state visit to Mongolia and lasted for about four hours, far exceeding the originally scheduled time. The event was held at a traditional ger-style guesthouse built on the grasslands, taking into consideration that the President and First Lady did not have enough time to fully experience Mongolia's vast natural landscape.

Upon the presidential couple's arrival at the grassland guesthouse, the Mongolian side welcomed them with the traditional food aaruul. This was followed by demonstrations of milking mares, a traditional knucklebone game, and introductions to shepherd dogs. After showcasing a traditional Mongolian dish prepared by cooking meat with heated stones inside sheepskin, the meal was served to President Lee and the First Lady.

After the luncheon, a condensed performance of "Nadam," Mongolia's largest festival, was held. The event began with a wrestling match. The winner performed a traditional dance mimicking an eagle and handed a handful of traditional sweets, a prize for the victor, to President Lee and the First Lady. An acrobatic performance by Erdeneochir, who is known for his role in the Korean survival content "Physical Asia," followed.

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