Feb. 24 (UPI) — Ivanka Trump, the U.S. president’s daughter and senior advisor, and South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook watched a snowboarding competition together at the ongoing PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Saturday, a presidential aide here said.
They watched the men’s big air final competition at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre in the northeastern city of Pyeongchang. They were accompanied by Seoul’s Foreign Minister Kang Kyung Wha and Ryu Seung-min, a South Korean member of the International Olympic Committee.
“I heard three U.S. athletes (have) advanced to the final. I hope they will compete successfully,” Kim told the U.S. first daughter.
Ivanka Trump was quoted as saying that she was glad that she was able to root for the U.S. team.
In the big air final, Kyle Mack of the United States won the silver medal, while Sebastien Toutant of Canada and Billy Morgan of Britain secured gold and bronze, respectively.
The U.S. first daughter arrived in Korea on Friday for a four-day visit to lead Washington’s delegation to the closing ceremony of the quadrennial games, which is scheduled for Sunday.
Meanwhile, first lady Kim gave Ivanka a pair of silk embroidered slippers, a presidential aide here said. She designed them, concerned that Ivanka might feel uncomfortable when asked to take off her shoes, in line with Korean custom, when entering the presidential hall for a dinner reception on Friday.
“First lady Kim herself picked the silk and decided on the design of the slippers for advisor Ivanka,” the aide told Yonhap News Agency over the phone, declining to be named.