▲ President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hea-kyung, on a state visit to Mexico, greet local citizens on September 25 (local time) while visiting Zona Rosa, a hub of Korean businesses in Mexico City
President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hea-kyung, who are on a state visit to Mexico, visited the Zona Rosa area of Mexico City, where Korean businesses are concentrated, on September 25 (local time) to greet Korean compatriots.
The area visited by President Lee and First Lady Kim is home to various businesses operated by ethnic Koreans who began settling there in earnest in the 1990s, earning it the nickname Mexico City's "Little Seoul," Cheong Wa Dae Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong said in a written briefing.
Guided by Ambassador to Mexico Lee Ju-il, the presidential couple toured the nearby area on foot, with several Korean compatriots greeting them by waving the South Korean flag.
Some Mexican citizens who recognized President Lee said hello in Korean, saying "Annyeonghaseyo," or shouted in English, "Welcome to Mexico," to which the presidential couple replied, "Hola (hello)."
They also smiled and exchanged high-fives with Mexican citizens who said they had come to the area to eat Korean food before attending a concert by the group Stray Kids, as well as young Mexican fans wearing Stray Kids T-shirts and holding lightsticks on the street.
President Lee and First Lady Kim also sampled guava, a tropical fruit being sold on the street, and experienced the local culinary culture by having tacos, Mexico's signature dish, for lunch at a nearby restaurant, Deputy Spokesperson Ahn reported.
Following the meal, President Lee and First Lady Kim visited the Monument to Independence on Paseo de la Reforma.
The Monument to Independence is a representative landmark of Mexico City, built in 1910 to commemorate the centennial of Mexico's independence.
(Photo: Joint Press Corps, Yonhap News)
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