President Lee attends Christmas service at Incheon church
A handout photo made available by the presidential office shows South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (L) and first lady Kim Hea Kyung (R) participate in a Christmas Mass at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul, South Korea, 25 December 2025. Photo by SK PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE HANDOUT SOUTH KOREA/EPA
Dec. 25 (Asia Today) — President Lee Jae-myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung attended a Christmas service Thursday with about 130 worshippers at Haein Church in Incheon, the presidential office said.
Spokesperson Kim Nam-joon said in a written briefing that the visit was meant to reflect on the meaning of Christmas, offer a message of comfort and hope to the public beyond religion and reaffirm the value of social integration.
Kim said Lee met Pastor Lee Jun-mo and his wife, Pastor Kim Young-sun, upon arriving at the church and thanked them for the opportunity to share Christmas greetings there.
The pastors offered well-wishes and urged Lee to embrace vulnerable members of society, the spokesperson said.
Haein Church was founded in 1986 as what the presidential office described as a workers-funded “people’s church.” It is located in Gyeyang District, which was Lee’s constituency when he served as a lawmaker. The church is known for community projects supporting people including the homeless and victims of domestic violence, the presidential office said.
After the service, Lee and Kim had bibimbap with church members in the church dining hall, the spokesperson said. They later visited the Notre Dame Convent in Gyeyang District to exchange Christmas greetings.
Lee also attended a Christmas Mass Thursday afternoon at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul, which the presidential office said drew about 1,000 worshippers, including Archbishop Chung Soon-taek of Seoul.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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