First Lady attends Women’s Day forum at alma mater

Mar 12, 2026, 09:39 am

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First Lady Kim Hye-kyung delivers a congratulatory speech at the 2026 Sookmyung International Forum marking International Women’s Day at Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul on March 11. /Yonhap News

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung attended an international forum marking International Women’s Day at her alma mater, Sookmyung Women’s University, on March 11, pledging continued efforts toward achieving substantive gender equality in South Korea.

Speaking at the “2026 Sookmyung International Forum” held at the university in Seoul, Kim said she would work to help the country advance toward genuine gender equality.

“I will also do my best so that the Republic of Korea can move forward as a country that truly achieves substantive gender equality,” Kim said in her congratulatory remarks.

Kim emphasized that this year’s International Women’s Day holds special significance as it is the first to be observed since the launch of the new administration.

“This year’s International Women’s Day carries even greater meaning as it is the first one since the inauguration of the people’s sovereignty government,” she said.

She also referred to women who had gathered in public squares during the winter to defend democracy, noting that they had recently received a women’s movement award.

“I heard the encouraging news that women who gathered in the squares during the cold winter to protect democracy received the Women’s Movement Award of the Year,” Kim said.

“That moment symbolically demonstrated that women’s solidarity and participation are powerful forces that sustain society and create a better tomorrow,” she added.

Kim also expressed concern for women and children suffering from war and violence around the world.

“Even at this very moment, there are women and children who are suffering from war and violence,” she said. “I sincerely hope that their tears will soon stop and that the day will come when they can regain their smiles in peaceful daily lives.”

#Kim Hye-kyung #First Lady of Korea #International Women’s Day #Sookmyung Women’s University