SKorea First lady Kim, Queen Letizia of Spain talk K-beauty, being the same age

Madrid, June 29

South Korean First lady Kim Keon-hee and Queen Letizia of Spain talked about being the same age and the excellence of South Korean beauty products during a gala dinner in Madrid the previous day, the presidential office said Wednesday. Kim is accompanying President Yoon Suk-yeol on a visit to the Spanish capital to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit, Yonhap news agency reported.

On Tuesday, the couple was invited to a dinner hosted by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain at the Royal Palace of Madrid.

While talking to the queen, Kim said that in South Korea people of the same age naturally draw closer and pointed out that the two are the same age.

Queen Letizia asked how old Kim is, saying she will turn 50 in September, and the first lady responded that she, too, was born in September, on the 2nd. The queen expressed delight, saying she was born on the 15th, the presidential office said.

"You are very famous and popular in South Korea as a fashion star," the first lady told the queen. "South Korea's cosmetics and K-beauty industries are excellent."

The queen recalled that she was amazed by how beautiful South Korean women were when she visited the country three years ago, and that she therefore bought a lot of cosmetics there.

Kim invited the queen to make another visit to South Korea, and the queen responded that she would like to.

The first lady also mingled with her counterparts from the US, Poland and France, according to the presidential office.

US President Joe Biden approached her and offered a handshake, saying he was glad to see her again after meeting during his visit to Seoul last month.

Kim told the US president that his comment about Yoon "marrying up" had become the talk of the town and asked whether he uses that expression often.

Biden replied that he does, adding that he proposed to his wife Jill five times and that everyone knows he loves her more than she loves him.

To Jill Biden, Kim said it was a pity she could not join the president on his visit to Seoul last month and that she hoped the two would come together next time.

The first ladies also talked about art and culture.

French first lady Brigitte Macron told Kim she likes South Korea very much and has a keen interest in the country. Polish first lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda talked to Kim about the difficulties of life as a first lady and wished her luck in finding ways to contribute to South Korean society, the presidential office said.

--IANS