Kim Hye-kyung, spouse of President Lee Jae Myung, applauds during guest introductions at the "Hanji: Bridging Time and the Future" event held at The Pearl in San Francisco on Friday (local time). [Yonhap]
Kim Hye-kyung, spouse of President Lee Jae Myung, applauds during guest introductions at the "Hanji: Bridging Time and the Future" event held at The Pearl in San Francisco on Friday (local time). [Yonhap]

Kim Hye-kyung, the spouse of President Lee Jae Myung, promoted traditional Korean culture in San Francisco on Friday, expressing hope that hanji — traditional Korean paper — will be inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

Kim attended an event titled "Hanji: Bridging Time and the Future," organized by the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles in San Francisco on Friday afternoon (local time), where she viewed an exhibition and a hanji fashion show.

"Hanji, which has held our history for hundreds of years, is expanding into new fields such as art, craft, design and fashion, showing a beautiful possibility that connects the past and the future," she said. "I hope it will be inscribed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and shine even more brightly as a precious shared asset of humanity."

She added that "culture is the warmest language that connects people and hearts," and expressed hope that hanji would "be cherished as a beautiful cultural heritage that connects the hearts of more people across time and borders."

Cheong Wa Dae Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong said Kim wore a hanji leather bag made by a Korean youth startup and a dress reinterpreting the aesthetic of hanbok in silk.

"Following her visit to the Millennium Hanji Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, last February, Kim introduced the traditional value and modern potential of hanji in San Francisco — a world-class city of culture and arts — helping to build broader international appreciation," Ahn said.

The Cultural Heritage Administration is pursuing UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity inscription for "the traditional knowledge, technology and cultural practices of hanji production," with a decision expected toward the end of this year.


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