First Lady Kim Hye-kyung to Korean Residents in Japan Women's Association: "I Will Remember Your Kindness for a Long Time"

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung Holds Tea Meeting with Around 60 Members of Mindan Women's Association
"Today's Republic of Korea Is Shaped by Your Years and Dedication"

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung met with officials from the Women's Association of the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan), who were visiting Korea on Nov. 10, and said, "Today's Republic of Korea is shaped by the years and dedication of people like you, who built lives on unfamiliar soil without ever letting go of your love for your homeland."

At a tea meeting that afternoon in Chungmu Hall at the main building of Cheong Wa Dae with around 60 members of the Mindan Women's Association, an organization of Korean residents in Japan, Kim said, "I will remember your kindness for a long time." Established under Mindan in 1948, the association has worked to pass on the Korean language and traditional culture, nurture the next generation of Korean residents, and promote exchanges between women in Korea and Japan.

First Lady Kim Hyegyeong delivers welcoming remarks at a tea meeting with the Women's Association of the Korean Residents Union in Japan at the Blue House on Nov. 10, 2026. Yonhap News

Addressing the members, Kim said, "Your beautiful hanbok have made this gathering even more vibrant," and greeted them by saying, "Each lovely color of your hanbok seems to hold a great deal of the joy of returning to your homeland." She added, "Since you have come home after such a long time, I hope you can stay comfortably, as if you were returning to a home you have missed."

In her remarks, Son Mija, chair of the association's central headquarters, said, "The Women's Association holds a nationwide training seminar every year. Although we live in another country, it is an event where we never forget our homeland or our roots, and come together to learn Korean and history and carry on the identity of the Korean people."

She added, "It is also an opportunity to witness firsthand how rapidly our homeland is advancing and to deeply reaffirm our pride as citizens of the Republic of Korea."

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