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

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

According to a written briefing by Chief Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung, President Lee and First Lady Kim attended a farewell luncheon hosted by President Khurelsukh and the First Lady of Mongolia, where they were presented with the ponies. At the event, President Lee and the First Lady named the mare "Rainbow" and the stallion "Gold." Both 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

Chief Spokesperson Kang explained, "The names were chosen to mark the opening of a Golden Era between Korea and Mongolia, inspired by the fact that Mongolia is called the land of blue skies and Korea is referred to as the land of the rainbow."

The luncheon was the final event of President Lee's state visit to Mongolia, lasting about four hours—well beyond the originally scheduled time. The luncheon was held in a traditional ger-style reception hall built on the grasslands, in consideration of the fact that President Lee and the First Lady were unable to fully experience Mongolia's vast natural landscapes.

Upon the arrival of President Lee and the First Lady at the grassland reception hall, the Mongolian side welcomed them with a traditional food called aaruul. This was followed by a demonstration of milking a mare, a traditional livestock bone-throwing game, and an introduction to herding dogs. After showcasing a traditional Mongolian dish cooked by placing stones inside sheepskin along with meat, the dish was served to President Lee and the First Lady.

After the luncheon, a performance condensed from "Naadam," Mongolia's largest festival, was held. First, a wrestling match took place. The winner performed a traditional dance imitating an eagle and presented President Lee and the First Lady with a handful of cookies, a custom for the victor. This was followed by an acrobatic performance by Erdeneochoir, who gained fame through the Korean survival content "Physical Asia."

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