Lee Jae-myung president's wife Kim Hea-kyung and Lee Boo-jin, president of Hotel Shilla, met on the 1st.
The two women leaders attended the opening ceremony of the 4th women entrepreneurs week at 5 p.m. at the Dynasty Hall of THE SHILLA Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul.
Now in its fourth year, women entrepreneurs week is the largest festival and a statutory event for the 3.26 million women entrepreneurs in Korea. The event promoted the role and importance of women-owned businesses in Korea's economy under the slogan "Women entrepreneurs, the key of hope that opens tomorrow."
A few minutes before 5 p.m., Lee Boo-jin entered the Dynasty Hall with other key guests. She wore a white blouse and black trousers. She looked neat and strongly gave the impression of a female CEO. Lee Boo-jin is the eldest daughter of the late Lee Kun-hee, chairman of Samsung Group, and is regarded as a leading female owner entrepreneur in Korea. She became president of Hotel Shilla in 2010 and has led the company's growth since then.
Just before 5 p.m., Mrs. Kim entered wearing a white skirt suit. Her atmosphere contrasted with that of Lee Boo-jin and felt somewhat cozy.
All attendees stood to welcome Mrs. Kim, and she and Lee Boo-jin took seats at the VIP table. Mrs. Kim sat in the seat of honor among the VIP seats, and Park Chang-sook, president of the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association, which co-hosted the event, sat immediately to Mrs. Kim's right. Lee Boo-jin sat next to her.
Also seated at the VIP table were Kim Seong-seop, vice minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and Seong Mi-sook, president of the Women Venture Association.
Afterward, Mrs. Kim and Lee Boo-jin sat upright and observed the event programs, including awards for meritorious women entrepreneurs and celebratory performances. They applauded at moments the emcee asked for. Both Mrs. Kim and Lee Boo-jin kept smiling.
Mrs. Kim went up on stage and offered an encouragement speech. She said she hoped that, like this year's slogan "Women entrepreneurs, the key of hope that opens tomorrow," women entrepreneurs would take the lead in overcoming Korea's crises. Mrs. Kim also praised the efforts and achievements of women entrepreneurs who are opening new possibilities for our economy through relentless challenges.
Around 5:40 p.m., when the main programs of the event concluded, Mrs. Kim left her seat.
Lee Boo-jin stayed until the end. She went around the dozens of tables in the Dynasty Hall greeting women entrepreneurs. She responded to endless requests for photos with a smile. From somewhere, voices shouting "Lee Boo-jin! Lee Boo-jin!" could also be heard.
As continued requests for photos made it difficult to proceed with the event, on-site staff and the emcee barely restrained people so the next program could continue.
During the event, a reporter approached Lee Boo-jin and asked her to say a word as a woman entrepreneur, but she repeatedly smiled and declined to answer. Later, near the end of the event around 6:40 p.m., she came to the table where the press were and took a commemorative photo with them. She then smiled and said, "Thank you."