SEOUL– First lady Kim Keon Hee on Thursday visited a flophouse district in central Seoul and delivered boxes of groceries to needy residents.
Kim visited a “jjokbangchon” neighborhood near Seoul Station where some 400 households live in cramped rooms measuring roughly 3.3-square-meters each.
During a visit to an elderly resident, Kim delivered a box filled with instant rice meals, sea laver and other grocery products and promised to support government and local community efforts to help them.
“Going forward, I will pay close attention and support the government and local community’s works so that your living circumstance can be warmer and less inconvenient,” she said.
The resident thanked her for the visit and asked for her continuous support, the presidential office said.
The first lady also voiced gratitude to religious circles and charity groups for their efforts in helping the needy.
“Please strive to continue passing on your good influence to our society,” Kim said.
Kim’s visit was scheduled in line with a Christmas charity event organized by the Salvation Army and sponsored by the charity group Good People International.
Presidential pool reporters joined her on the visit. It marked the first time pool reporters accompanied the first lady on a solo schedule since she visited Spain with President Yoon Suk Yeol for a NATO summit in June.
Source: Yonhap News Agency