First Lady Kim Yoon-ok attends a tea ceremony at the Urasenke School of tea ceremony in Tokyo on Monday morning./Yonhap

In her debut in the international community as Korea's newest first lady, Kim appeared openhearted and unceremonious. Although it was their first meeting, Kim chatted about her grandson and husband when she met U.S. First Lady Laura Bush at Camp David. "Her style of talking about personal and family matters seems to impress people," said one of Kim's close aides.

During her stay in the U.S., Kim's wardrobe included a pastel-pink one-piece dress, a blue suit, a black suit with a long half-sleeved jacket, and a yellow one-piece dress. At a tea ceremony with Fukuda on Monday, Kim wore a blue-purple suit to match the atmosphere. "By highlighting colors that are youthful and refined, she helped boost her nation's image," said a fashion designer.

Some observers, impressed with Kim's fashion style, have said that her dresses are so refined that they look as if they're foreign-made. In fact her outfits are the work of Korean designers: her formal suits are by Lee Kwang-hee, her Korean costumes by Lee Young-hee, and her hair is done by Kim Chung-kyung.

The first lady also enjoys wearing trousers, even wearing blue jeans and sneakers when she arrived at Camp David. While there are rumors that she sometimes employs well-known stylists, in truth she discusses what to wear with her daughters before making her own decisions. Her secretary Kwon Yoon-hee said, "On her latest trip to the U.S. and Japan, First Lady Kim took care of her own fashion style. Only her hair was done by a hairstylist who accompanied her."

(englishnews@chosun.com )