President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook pose for a photo with hotel staff in Berlin on July 6, as they hold up plush toys of Soohorang the white tiger and Bandabi the Asiatic black bear, mascots for next year’s PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
By Lee Hana
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae
“See you again in Pyeongchang,” said President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook as they checked out of their hotel in Berlin on July 6.
As they were leaving, the presidential couple posed for a picture with the hotel staff, holding up two small plush toys of the mascots for next year’s PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Soohorang the white tiger and Bandabi the Asiatic black bear.
During the couple’s official visit to Germany on the occasion of the G20 Summit, the first lady took it upon herself to promote the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics at every opportunity.
Traveling with the PyeongChang Olympic mascots, the first lady met with other spouses of the G20 leaders, shared news about next year’s Winter Games and handed out Soohorang and Bandabi dolls as gifts.
First lady Kim Jung-sook (right) poses for a picture with her French counterpart Brigitte Macron, with the PyeongChang Olympic mascot Soohorang being held between them, in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7.
Following a meeting with the wife of the German president, Elke Büdenbender, at the presidential palace on July 5, Soohorang and Bandabi were sent on their way as gifts for the German president and chancellor.
On July 7, the first lady met with her French counterpart Brigitte Macron on a harbor tour in Hamburg, and during a conversation about the upcoming Winter Olympics gave the French first lady a plush toy for next year’s Winter Olympics.
With Soohorang in her hands, Macron told Kim that France is working hard to win the bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, and said, “I have a feeling this mascot will bring us some luck on that matter.”
On July 8, the first lady also gifted mascot dolls to Akie Abe, spouse of the Japanese prime minister, Tran Nguyet Thu, spouse of the Vietnamese prime minister, Indonesian first lady Iriana Joko Widodo, and Ho Ching, spouse of the Singaporean prime minister, at a function at city hall in Hamburg.
First lady Kim Jung-sook (left), holding one of the mascots for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, poses for a photo with her counterparts Tran Nguyet Thu, spouse of the Vietnamese prime minister, Indonesian first lady Iriana Joko Widodo, Akie Abe, spouse of the Japanese prime minister, and Ho Ching, spouse of Singaporean prime minister, at Hamburg city hall on July 8.
hlee10@korea.kr
