By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young

President Lee Jae-myung and First lady Kim Hea-kyung held a social gathering at Sangchunjae at the Blue House on August 12 with Vietnamese Party Secretary General To Lam and his spouse, who were on a state visit to South Korea.

This was the first official event held at Sangchunjae since the Lee Jae-myung administration took office, and hosting a state guest at Sangchunjae is considered the utmost courtesy.

Notably, First Lady Ngo Phuong Ly attended the social gathering wearing a hanbok (traditional Korean attire) gifted by First Lady Kim Hea-kyung, and repeatedly expressed her admiration for the hanbok.

The two leaders and their first ladies first enjoyed a performance featuring traditional instruments from their respective countries. South Korea's singer Cho Yoon-young and other musicians performed "Pyeonsudaeyeop - Moran Eun," featuring the geomungo (Korean zither), yanggeum (Korean zither), piri (Korean flute), and janggu (Korean janggu). The Vietnamese National Traditional Opera Company performed a performance featuring the "Danda," a traditional Vietnamese instrument.

The two leaders and their spouses demonstrated the "Danda", and the Vietnamese Party Secretary General explained the instrument in detail to President Lee and his wife.

President Lee shared his impressions of the sound of the Danda, saying, "Danda is the sound of nature in its truest sense."

The two leaders and their spouses shared a tea ceremony at Sangchunjae and a walk through the green garden, expressing deep interest in the cultures of their two countries and deepening their friendship.

President Lee mentioned the cultural kinship between the two countries and said, "Korea and Vietnam are inseparable, so let's actively strive for mutually beneficial cooperation going forward." Party Secretary General Lam responded, "Let's further develop our cooperative relationship."

The Sangchunjae tea ceremony was designed to reflect the preferences of Party Secretary General Lam and his wife, who enjoy tea.

First Lady Kim cited the Vietnamese proverb, "Good tea tastes even better when enjoyed with good friends," and expressed her closeness by sharing tea with Party Secretary General Lam and his wife.

Madam Ngo Phuong Ly (First Lady of the Party Secretary General) expressed her deep gratitude to President Lee and his wife and hoped that there would be a good opportunity to introduce Vietnamese traditional culture to them during their future visits to Vietnam.

Following yesterday's state banquet, the Sangchunjae social gathering is seen as an opportunity to further strengthen the bond and trust between the two leaders and their spouses.