Lee gifts Lula tailored glove, brotherly embrace over shared youth
Published: 25 Feb. 2026, 21:49
![Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, wearing gloves during his visit to the Seoul National Cemetery on Feb. 23, points out to his wife that the gloves are custom-made to fit his hand. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/25/dd74161d-e7c6-40f9-acce-f1a9ebf391fc.jpg)
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, wearing gloves during his visit to the Seoul National Cemetery on Feb. 23, points out to his wife that the gloves are custom-made to fit his hand. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Footage of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva paying tribute at Seoul National Cemetery during his state visit to Korea, his first in 21 years, is drawing attention belatedly over an unexpected detail: a glove prepared for him.
Lula uploaded a short video titled “Elevating Korea-Brazil relations” to his YouTube channel on Tuesday. The video includes scenes from his Korea itinerary, including a visit to Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak District, southern Seoul, on Monday morning.
In the footage, Lula is about to pay tribute when he slips a white glove onto his left hand and flinches after noticing the little-finger section is missing. He holds up the glove to his wife, first lady Janja Lula da Silva, beside him, with his surprised expression visible on camera.
President Lula began working in factories at age 14 and later lost the pinky finger on his left hand in an accident while working as a lathe operator at a metal company near São Paulo. The Korean government appeared to have had the glove made with that in mind.
Lula was the first foreign leader President Lee Jae Myung welcomed on a state visit after having moved the presidential office back to the Blue House in December of last year. The two leaders have often highlighted their shared background as former teenage factory workers and have shown a notably warm rapport in their meetings.
![A clip from an AI-generated video shows Korean President Lee Jae Myung, depicted as a child factory worker, hugging Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the left scene, which transitions to the two leaders embracing in the present day. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/25/3e9247e8-2113-44ff-9d2e-0e0527ba0276.jpg)
A clip from an AI-generated video shows Korean President Lee Jae Myung, depicted as a child factory worker, hugging Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the left scene, which transitions to the two leaders embracing in the present day. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Earlier Monday, Lee posted an AI-generated video on X that depicts the two as boys hugging and then transitions to a scene of the two presidents doing the same in front of the Blue House.
“Two former teenage factory workers became presidents and met,” Lee wrote. “We carry wounds, but they are not scars. We learned life’s wisdom through work, faced adversity and our people saved us. That’s why we are brothers. I’m giving this video as a gift to my brother, President Lula.”
Lula shared the post on X on Tuesday, writing, “A strong hug to my brother, President Lee.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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