Home > National > Diplomacy

Symbolic gifts exchanged between leaders during Korea-Singapore summit

Published: 02 Mar. 2026, 21:03

LIM JEONG-WON
[email protected]

President Lee Jae Myung, center, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, left, attend a ceremony naming an orchid hybrid after them, hosted by Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, right, at the Foreign Ministry in Singapore on March 2. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

SINGAPORE — President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hea Kyung exchanged gifts of orchids, framed landscapes and lacquerware boxes during the Korea-Singapore summit and state visit in the city state on Monday.

The Singaporean government held an orchid naming ceremony on Monday at The Istana, the official residence of the president in Singapore, to welcome Lee and Kim. The orchid is Singapore’s national flower. Singapore maintains a unique diplomatic tradition of naming newly bred orchid hybrids after visiting heads of state and distinguished guests.

For Lee’s visit, a tropical Vanda orchid was selected and named “Vanda Lee Jae Myung Kim Hea Kyung.”

“It is truly an honor to have my name given to such a beautiful and fragrant orchid,” Lee said.

“We specially crossbred two species brought from Indonesia and the Philippines for Lee and the first lady,” said a representative at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. “It was symbolically prepared to commemorate Lee’s first bilateral visit to Southeast Asia.”

“The orchid’s pattern is particularly beautiful,” the official said, noting that “it can also be seen as symbolizing the ‘geon’ and ‘gon’ elements of Korea’s Taegeukgi flag.”

The “geon” and “gon” elements are two of four elements that are visualized through trigrams on the Korean flag, each meaning heaven and earth, respectively.

A landscape painting depicting the spring scenery of Mount Halla on Jeju Island, gifted to Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, left, and a mother-of-pearl lacquerware box inlaid with butterflies and arabesque patterns gifted to Singaporean first lady Jane Yumiko Ittogi [BLUE HOUSE]

In return, Lee and first lady Kim presented gifts reflecting traditional Korean culture. To Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a landscape painting depicting the spring scenery of Mount Halla on Jeju Island was presented. For Singaporean first lady Jane Yumiko Ittogi, the Blue House prepared a mother-of-pearl lacquerware box inlaid with butterflies and arabesque patterns.

Lee also prepared a commemorative ceramic plate marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Singapore and a men’s cosmetics set for Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The ceramic plate features a tiger symbolizing Korea and a lion representing Singapore at its center, designed in the style of minhwa (Korean folk painting).

“By incorporating symbolic landmarks of both Korea and Singapore, the design visually expresses cultural exchange and harmonious coexistence between the two countries,” a Blue House official said.

A commemorative ceramic plate marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Singapore, gifted to Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, above, and a set of brassware Western-style cutlery gifted to Wong’s spouse, Loo Tze Lui [BLUE HOUSE]

For Wong’s spouse, Loo Tze Lui, the Blue House prepared a brassware Western-style cutlery set and a line-embroidered scarf. The cutlery set, crafted using traditional Korean yugi (a type of brassware) metalworking techniques, is characterized by its subtle golden hue and balanced form.

The silk scarf reinterprets traditional Korean motifs in a modern style. It was reportedly selected in consideration of the lifestyle of Singaporean women, who commonly wear scarves indoors to guard against strong air conditioning.

During the visit, Korean first lady Kim held a tea meeting with Singaporean first lady Ittogi, spouse of Singapore’s president.

“I understand that Ittogi has made significant contributions to the development of Singapore’s culture and arts,” Kim said.

Korean first lady Kim Hea Kyung, front left, shakes hands with Singaporean first lady Jane Yumiko Ittogi at an artists' residencey in Singapore on March 2. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

“Given your deep understanding and affection for the arts, I believe we have much in common,” Ittogi said in response, referring to Kim’s background as a piano major.

Kim later visited the Singapore branch of Haenyeo’s Kitchen, a multi-concept dining space that presents Jeju’s haenyeo (female divers) diving culture and culinary traditions through performances and food. The brand operates two locations in Jeju and expanded to Singapore in December last year.

“It is deeply moving to see our precious Jeju culture taking root in Singapore,” Kim said after watching a performance about the lives of haenyeo.

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 YOON SUNG-MIN, OH HYUN-SEOK, LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]