Korea’s first lady joins Melania Trump’s ‘Fostering the Future Together’ initiative
Published: 24 Sep. 2025, 10:59
Updated: 24 Sep. 2025, 14:57
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- SARAH KIM
- [email protected]
![U.S. first lady Melania Trump addresses an audience of spouses of heads of government, including Korean first lady Kim Hea Kyung, as she announces her ″Fostering the Future Together″ initiative on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York on Sept. 23. [REUTERS/YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/24/72fdb6c3-8832-482e-90e5-8c9b97b29f11.jpg)
U.S. first lady Melania Trump addresses an audience of spouses of heads of government, including Korean first lady Kim Hea Kyung, as she announces her ″Fostering the Future Together″ initiative on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York on Sept. 23. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
NEW YORK — Korea's first lady Kim Hea Kyung attended a reception Tuesday hosted by U.S. first lady Melania Trump to launch her initiative to build a global coalition of nations dedicated to advancing children's well-being through education, innovation and technology.
First lady Trump hosted the reception at Lotte New York Palace in New York for spouses of heads of state attending the UN General Assembly and gave a speech on the theme of "Fostering the Future Together," presidential deputy spokesperson Jeon Eun-soo said in a statement.
"Great minds have turned marbles into microchips, paper airplanes into drones, and kites into satellites," Trump said in her speech.
Trump launched "Fostering the Future Together," a global coalition of nations committed to enhancing the well-being of children through the promotion of education, innovation and technology, the White House in a statement.
It added that the mission is "to ensure that every child can flourish in the digital era" and "to prioritize the development of children at the intersection of technology and education."
After the speech, Kim exchanged greetings with the spouses of leaders from countries including Vietnam, Australia, Canada, Papua New Guinea, Turkey, Lithuania and Slovenia, according to spokesperson Jeon.
Many of the attendees expressed strong interest in Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, and Kim conveyed her hopes that such enthusiasm would lead to more cultural exchanges.
![President Lee Jae Myung, left, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, right, pose for a photo with children at a dinner event for the Korean community in New York on Sept. 22. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/24/013edaa4-ec5a-480d-82e7-787a11f711ce.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, left, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, right, pose for a photo with children at a dinner event for the Korean community in New York on Sept. 22. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
The White House said that members of Fostering the Future Together will include the spouses of heads of government and will be implemented by participating members at the local level, within their respective countries. Trump will host Fostering the Future Together's inaugural meeting at the White House during the first quarter of next year.
Kim accompanied her husband, President Lee Jae Myung, on a five-day trip to New York for the UN gathering. Both Lee and President Donald Trump gave addresses to the UN General Assembly's 80th session earlier Tuesday.
BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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