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| First lady Kim Keon Hee, left, tours the Qasr Al Watan presidential palace in Abu Dhabi, Jan. 15. Yonhap |
First lady Kim Keon Hee befriended UAE Deputy Prime Minister Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, known as one of the richest people in the country, during her ongoing visit to Abu Dhabi, officials said Monday.
Kim was seated next to Sheikh Mansour during the state luncheon hosted by UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for President Yoon Suk Yeol at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, according to the officials.
The two exchanged pleasantries, with Sheikh Mansour telling Kim that he plans to visit South Korea soon.
The deputy prime minister asked the first lady to recommend places to visit in South Korea, and Kim agreed to do so and to keep in touch, the officials said.
The first lady, who is accompanying Yoon on his four-day state visit to the UAE, also met with the UAE president's mother the same day and the two shared their views on various cultural and social issues, according to the presidential office.
Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi invited Kim to dinner at the Sea Palace in Abu Dhabi, according to senior presidential secretary for press affairs Kim Eun-hye.
Fatima, who is also the widow of UAE founder and inaugural president Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, said a state visit of the scale enjoyed by Yoon was "difficult to witness since President Mohamed's inauguration and also historically," according to Kim, the senior secretary.
"President Mohamed has a special interest" in Yoon's visit, she was quoted as saying.
The first lady recalled her visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque earlier that day, saying she paid her respects at the late president's grave.
"I was able to feel the spirit of tolerance of former President Zayed," she was quoted as saying.
Kim also expressed her respect for Fatima's efforts to enhance the rights of UAE women and increase their social participation. She invited Fatima to visit South Korea and the president's mother responded that she would.
The same day, the first lady met separately with UAE Culture Minister Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi at the Qasr Al Watan presidential palace.
At the palace library, Kim told the minister she was aware the UAE people were reading a lot of Korean books, and that she hopes the books will also be used to produce movies and dramas in the UAE.
The minister said the UAE government opened the presidential palace to the public several years ago and that she had heard South Korea's former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae was also opened to the public.
Kim responded that she would like to take the minister to Cheong Wa Dae if she visits South Korea, according to the senior secretary. (Yonhap)
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