• South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee arrival at the Presidential Airport. Photo: Hamad Al Kaabi / UAE Presidential Court
    South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee arrival at the Presidential Airport. Photo: Hamad Al Kaabi / UAE Presidential Court
  • Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, greets Yoon and Kim upon their arrival in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Photo: UAE Presidential Court
    Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, greets Yoon and Kim upon their arrival in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Photo: UAE Presidential Court
  • Yoon and Kim with President Sheikh Mohamed and members of the South Korean and UAE delegations at Qasr Al Watan. Photo: Mohamed Al Blooshi for the UAE Presidential Court
    Yoon and Kim with President Sheikh Mohamed and members of the South Korean and UAE delegations at Qasr Al Watan. Photo: Mohamed Al Blooshi for the UAE Presidential Court
  • South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and first lady Kim Keon Hee (2-L) tour the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates, 15 January 2023. EPA / YONHAP SOUTH KOREA OUT
    South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and first lady Kim Keon Hee (2-L) tour the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates, 15 January 2023. EPA / YONHAP SOUTH KOREA OUT
  • Yoon and Kim at Yoon's inauguration ceremony in Seoul in May 2022. Getty
    Yoon and Kim at Yoon's inauguration ceremony in Seoul in May 2022. Getty
  • Kim and Yoon arrive for a Royal Gala dinner at the Royal Palace during Nato summit in Madrid, Spain on June 28, 2022. Reuters
    Kim and Yoon arrive for a Royal Gala dinner at the Royal Palace during Nato summit in Madrid, Spain on June 28, 2022. Reuters
  • Yoon and Kim during a meeting with South Koreans living in Spain, on the sidelines of the Nato summit, in June 2022. EPA
    Yoon and Kim during a meeting with South Koreans living in Spain, on the sidelines of the Nato summit, in June 2022. EPA
  • South Korea's first couple board a plane in Seoul as they head to Madrid to attend a Nato summit, in June 2022. EPA
    South Korea's first couple board a plane in Seoul as they head to Madrid to attend a Nato summit, in June 2022. EPA
  • The couple disembark from the presidential plane after returning from Madrid, in July 2022. EPA
    The couple disembark from the presidential plane after returning from Madrid, in July 2022. EPA
  • Yoon and Kim arrive at a Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard to witness the launch a naval destroyer, in July 2022. EPA
    Yoon and Kim arrive at a Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard to witness the launch a naval destroyer, in July 2022. EPA
  • Yoon and Kim cheer during South Korea's 77th National Liberation Day celebrations in Seoul, in August 2022. Getty
    Yoon and Kim cheer during South Korea's 77th National Liberation Day celebrations in Seoul, in August 2022. Getty
  • The couple arrive at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, in September 2022. EPA
    The couple arrive at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, in September 2022. EPA
  • South Korea's first couple leave a hotel in London to attend the state funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022. EPA
    South Korea's first couple leave a hotel in London to attend the state funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022. EPA
  • The couple arrive at Phnom Penh International Airport in Cambodia, in November 2022. EPA
    The couple arrive at Phnom Penh International Airport in Cambodia, in November 2022. EPA
  • Yoon and Kim arrive in Bali, Indonesia, ahead of the start of the G20 summit, in November 2022. Reuters
    Yoon and Kim arrive in Bali, Indonesia, ahead of the start of the G20 summit, in November 2022. Reuters
  • Kim and Indonesian first lady Iriana Widodo walk together at a hotel in Bali, in November 2022. EPA
    Kim and Indonesian first lady Iriana Widodo walk together at a hotel in Bali, in November 2022. EPA
  • Kim is greeted by Widodo on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Reuters
    Kim is greeted by Widodo on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Reuters

South Korea's first lady Kim Keon Hee makes fashionable debut in Abu Dhabi


Evelyn Lau
  • English
  • Arabic

South Korea’s first lady Kim Keon Hee has been regularly cutting a stylish figure while standing by her husband Yoon Suk Yeol since he assumed the presidency last May.

She is currently in the UAE as part of the couple’s four-day state visit that draws to a close on Tuesday. Upon landing in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Kim wore a sleek beige outfit with a navy blue scarf while also accessorising with a matching beige handbag from Korean upcycle fashion brand Harlie K.

The couple later attended an official reception ceremony at Qasr Al Watan on Sunday where Kim wore a tailored black trouser-suit with a high-collar white shirt. She later sported a brown headscarf over the outfit for a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee tour the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. EPA
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee tour the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. EPA

Staying with dark colours, she wore a classic floor-length black A-line dress with long sleeves when the couple met President Sheikh Mohamed and other members of the UAE and South Korean delegation during a group visit at Qasr Al Watan on Sunday.

This isn’t the first time that Kim’s fashion choices have turned heads. While it may appear she prefers darks and neutrals, she hasn’t shied away from bright colours, either.

During a trip to Madrid for the 2022 Nato Summit in June, she wore a high-waist royal green skirt paired with a tailored black blazer. For a dinner party at the Royal Palace, she wore an embroidered white dress with a string of pearls. She then wore a canary yellow blouse with a light blue pencil skirt while visiting a Korean grocery store in the country.

She also wore the same shirt with wide white trousers while meeting the first lady of Indonesia, Iriana Widodo, at the G20 Summit's spouse programme in November.

Updated: January 16, 2023, 4:01 PM