First Lady says she hopes to be 'K-culture salesperson'

First Lady Kim Keon Hee has said she hopes to be a "K-culture salesperson" promoting Korean culture and art overseas, according to a recent interview with a US media outlet.

In the written interview with Artnet News, an online art journal, published Monday, Kim also said she believes she can serve as a cultural bridge between South Korea and the United States, citing her experience organizing major exhibitions of artists, such as Mark Rothko, and discussions she had while accompanying President Yoon Suk Yeol on his state visit to the US in April.

"I could sense how greatly the stature of Korean culture and art has risen when I traveled abroad or met with international dignitaries in this first year since the inauguration of President Yoon Suk Yeol," she said, referring to growing interest in a variety of fields, including K-pop, dramas, films, fashion and food.

"Given Korea's diversity, originality and creativity, our culture has tremendous potential," she said. "I think I could play the role as a 'K-culture salesperson' to publicize and promote it overseas."

Kim talked about how she helped introduce Korean culture to visiting foreign dignitaries, such as when she discussed the cultural aspects of Korean traditional architecture with then-Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc during his visit to Seoul last December.

She also said she prepared gifts imbued with Korean culture when she traveled overseas, including a moon jar decorated with mother-of-pearl for US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, and traditional Korean confections for Japanese first lady Yuko Kishida.

Kim, who formerly served as CEO of Covana Contents, a cultural contents company, recalled how it was especially meaningful to see previously unexhibited works by Rothko, one of her personal favorites, during a visit to the National Gallery of Art in Washington in April.

During visits to the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, she said she discussed their possible cooperation with Korean art galleries and museums.

"I believe that I'll be able to serve as a bridge between the two countries, promoting exchanges in culture and art or facilitating discussions that have stalled," Kim said.

"I will do everything I can to facilitate exchanges between Korea and the United States in culture and art, and I believe that it is a role I can play." (Yonhap)