First Lady Kim Hye-kyung Attends Luncheon Hosted by Melania Trump: "International Cooperation Needed for Digital Education"

'Fostering the Future Together' Coalition Event
Participation from Spouses of Heads of State from Over 50 Countries and Leading Global Tech Companies
"Expanding Educational Opportunities and Protecting Children's Safety"
Discussion on the D

On the 22nd (local time), First Lady Kim Hye-kyung attended a luncheon for spouses of world leaders hosted by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump in New York City and emphasized the importance of international collaboration for children's education and safe use of technology in the digital age.

Kim Hye-kyung is listening to President Lee Jae-myung's keynote speech at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York, USA, on the 22nd (local time). 2026.9.23 Yonhap News Agency

According to a written briefing by Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong of the Office of the President, Kim Hye-kyung, who is visiting New York with President Lee Jae-myung for the high-level week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, attended the 'Fostering the Future Together' (FTFT) coalition luncheon event held that afternoon at the St. Regis Hotel.

The FTFT coalition, an alliance of world leaders' spouses, was launched by Melania Trump during the 80th UN General Assembly last year. Its goal is to support the healthy development of children in the digital era by utilizing education, innovation, and technology. Currently, spouses from over 50 countries are participating, and global technology companies—including Meta, Google, and OpenAI—are also partners. The South Korean government decided to join the coalition in October last year, following the South Korea–U.S. summit.

During the event, Melania Trump welcomed the spouses of world leaders, including Kim Hye-kyung, saying, "The future of the world will depend on what we do for children today."

Kim Hye-kyung expressed her gratitude to Melania Trump for hosting such a meaningful event and mentioned her attendance at the launch reception last year. She observed that "the coalition has grown rapidly, based on the shared understanding that advances in digital technology must lead to a better future for our children."

She also underscored the necessity of international cooperation during the digital transition. Kim Hye-kyung stated, "The challenges of digital transformation cannot be solved by the efforts of any single country alone," adding, "South Korea is making various efforts to expand learning opportunities and ensure the safety of children through digital education."

Kim Hye-kyung continued by exchanging views with other leaders' spouses on the future direction of education in the digital age and the safe use of technology. There was broad agreement on the need to both expand educational opportunities through digital technology and strengthen safeguards to protect children and adolescents from risks associated with rapid technological change.

The Office of the President explained that this event reaffirmed global solidarity and cooperation for future generations, based on the shared recognition that opportunities for learning through digital technology must be broadened, while children's safety must be thoroughly protected.

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