South Korea’s First Lady Joins Tree Planting Event in Riyadh

South Korea’s First Lady Kim Keon-hee during Monday's event. (SPA)
South Korea’s First Lady Kim Keon-hee during Monday's event. (SPA)
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South Korea’s First Lady Joins Tree Planting Event in Riyadh

South Korea’s First Lady Kim Keon-hee during Monday's event. (SPA)
South Korea’s First Lady Kim Keon-hee during Monday's event. (SPA)

South Korea’s First Lady Kim Keon-hee planted a tree in Riyadh on Monday to mark the 61st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had visited the Kingdom earlier this week.

The tree-planting event, organized by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), took place at the Scientific Park in Riyadh.

Kim was received by Mayor of Riyadh Prince Faisal bin Ayyaf and Executive Director of Green Riyadh at RCRC Abdulaziz Al-Muqbel.

She was briefed on the Green Riyadh Project and its impact on improving the quality of life, on the remarkable growth that Riyadh is witnessing and on the various megaprojects being carried out in the city.

Green Riyadh is one of Riyadh’s megaprojects launched by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz with the aim of planting 7.5 million trees across the capital, increasing the per capita share of green space from 1.7 square meters to 28 square meters, and improving the urban landscape of the capital.

It also contributes to achieving one of the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative and Vision 2030, which is to plant 10 billion trees across the Kingdom over the coming decades.



New Pair of Giant Pandas Gifted by Beijing Arrives in Hong Kong

A zookeeper feeds An An, one of two giant pandas gifted to Hong Kong, before heading to its new destination, at Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Dujiangyan, in southwestern China's Sichuan province on September 24, 2024. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT
A zookeeper feeds An An, one of two giant pandas gifted to Hong Kong, before heading to its new destination, at Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Dujiangyan, in southwestern China's Sichuan province on September 24, 2024. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT
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New Pair of Giant Pandas Gifted by Beijing Arrives in Hong Kong

A zookeeper feeds An An, one of two giant pandas gifted to Hong Kong, before heading to its new destination, at Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Dujiangyan, in southwestern China's Sichuan province on September 24, 2024. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT
A zookeeper feeds An An, one of two giant pandas gifted to Hong Kong, before heading to its new destination, at Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Dujiangyan, in southwestern China's Sichuan province on September 24, 2024. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT

Hong Kong welcomed a new pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing on Thursday with a lavish ceremony, raising hopes for a boost to the city's tourism.
An An and Ke Ke are the third pair of giant pandas to be sent to the city from mainland China since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Their arrival came after their new neighbor, Ying Ying, gave birth to twins last month and became the world’s oldest first-time panda mother on record, The Associated Press reported.
The newcomers bring the Ocean Park panda population to six, including the father of the twins, Le Le. Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-Yee noted that would make three generations of giant pandas at the popular Hong Kong zoo and aquarium attraction.
Chief Executive John Lee said An An is a 5-year-old male panda who is agile, intelligent and active, while Ke Ke, a 5-year-old female, is good at climbing, cute and has a gentle temperament.
The new arrivals will be in quarantine for two months to adapt to their new home. Lee expressed hope that the public could meet the new bears in mid-December.
In October, the government will invite residents to propose new names that showcase the pandas’ characteristics.
Tourism industry representatives are optimistic about the potential impact of housing six pandas, hoping it will boost visitor numbers in Hong Kong. Officials have encouraged businesses to capitalize on the popularity of the new bears and newborn cubs to seize opportunities in what some lawmakers have dubbed the “panda economy."
Pandas are considered China’s unofficial national mascot. The country's giant panda loan program with overseas zoos has long been seen as a tool of Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy. Giant pandas are only found in China's southwest and their population is under threat from development.
But caring for pandas in captivity is expensive.