First Lady Kim Hye-kyung visits the ‘Hanji Mania’ special exhibition with Mrs. Macron

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, who accompanied President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to France, admired artwork made of 'Hanji', a Korean cultural heritage, with French President's wife Brigitte Macron on the 8th (local time).

On this day, Mrs. Kim and Mrs. Macron visited the Hôtel de la Marine, a cultural heritage site in Paris, and viewed the 'Hanji Mania' special exhibition, Blue House Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong announced in a written briefing.

'Hanji Mania' was held as part of Paris Design Week and is an event where Korean and French artists collaborate to exhibit works made with Hanji.

Ms. Kim and Ms. Macron heard explanations about the production process and meaning of the work from directors and writers Ahn Kang-eun and Catherine Luro, who co-curated the exhibition.

During this process, they created a friendly appearance by entering a small room-shaped piece together with Mrs. Macron.

In addition, when the Elysee Palace cultural aide, who also viewed the exhibition, commented that one work reminded him of Han Kang's 'The Vegetarian', he said, "I am surprised and grateful for your deep interest in Korean literature and culture."

In addition, Mrs. Kim explained the merits and value of Hanji to Mrs. Macron, saying, "Hanji is made from paper mulberry trees using unique techniques and has excellent preservability and durability. It is a precious cultural heritage that is being used in the restoration of cultural assets in major overseas institutions, including the Louvre Museum."

In addition, he hoped that Hanji would be registered as a UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity in December and that it would become more widely known.

The two ladies also participated in a performance where they completed the work by inserting Mungyeong Hanji directly into the structure. After finishing the performance, they clapped each other's hands and hugged each other tightly to express their closeness.

He also expressed his gratitude by receiving an album in a 'hanji case' as a gift from singer Hwasa, who also attended the exhibition.