President Lee Jae-myung attended Mongolia's largest national holiday, the Naadam Festival, as the official guest of honor on the 11th, the third day of his state visit to Mongolia.
Kang Yu-jung, senior presidential spokesperson, said at a press center set up in Ulaanbaatar the previous day, "President Lee and the first lady will attend the Naadam Festival, Mongolia's largest national event." Kang described the Naadam Festival as "an event symbolizing Mongolia's identity and sense of community," and explained, "Immediately after attending the opening ceremony of the Naadam Festival, President Lee and the first lady plan to visit the archery venue and the shagai venue, two of the festival's three main events, to directly experience Mongolia's traditional culture."
Shagai is a traditional Mongolian game played using sheep ankle bones, similar to Korea's gonggi (jacks) and marble games. President Lee and the first lady will then attend a separate farewell luncheon hosted by the Mongolian side, concluding the three-day, two-night state visit to Mongolia before returning home.
President Lee made a state visit to Mongolia for the first time in 15 years, since former President Lee Myung-bak in 2011. On the 9th, the first day of the state visit, he declared a "Korea-Mongolia Golden Age" through a summit with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, and the two agreed to expand cooperation in areas including critical minerals, artificial intelligence (AI), and health.
On the 10th, he visited the memorial hall for the patriot Yi Tae-jun and held separate meetings with National Assembly Speaker Sandag Byambatsogt and Prime Minister Nyamosor Otsral.
