First lady meets with vulnerable groups, Koreans in US

Kim Hea Kyung, the wife of President Lee Jae Myung, visited a welfare center that specializes in dementia located in Fairfax, Virginia, Monday.

The presidential couple began their official schedule on Sunday when they met the local Korean community at a hotel in Washington. Kim then embarked on a solo engagement with her visit to Insight Memory Care Center — the only nonprofit welfare facility in the Washington area that provides services for individuals with dementia — the next day.

According to deputy presidential spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong, the first lady observed and participated in therapeutic activities ranging from a ball tossing game to a music listening session, hoping for healthy and peaceful days for the patients.

While addressing that many Koreans also suffer from dementia, Kim said she would work to apply the insights she learned from the American welfare center and improve dementia care in South Korea.

The first lady expressed respect for the care workers who have devoted themselves to their patients and hoped that the exemplary practices of the Insight Memory Care Center would be adopted in other parts of the US.

Earlier in the day, Kim visited the Library of Congress in Washington to observe its South Korea-related collections — the oldest surviving design of the Taegeukgi, South Korea’s national flag, Joseon’s movable metal type and “Donggugisanggukjip,” a historical Korean anthology that contains early references to the origins of kimchi — and encourage Korean American staff.

The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and stores the world’s largest collection of books and archival materials. Some 10 Korean American staff members work at the library.

“It was mentioned that the Library of Congress has a strong interest in cooperating with South Korea,” Kim said. "The government will provide full support to ensure the meaningful expansion of South Korea-related archives."