First Lady’s Pajama Purchase Goes Viral, Spotlighting President Lee’s Relatable Image Campaign.

According to witnesses and footage circulating on social media, Kim Hye‑kyung reached for a set of men’s pajamas priced at 70,000 won – roughly 360 renminbi or $55 USD – and, after holding the tag, exclaimed in a candid whisper, “a bit expensive.” Despite the surprise, she smiled, handed the garment to a market vendor and completed the transaction. The brief exchange, set against rows of stalls brimming with fresh produce, kimchi, and household goods, was uploaded to Korean news sites within minutes and soon proliferated across platforms such as Weibo, Twitter, and TikTok.

What made the pajama episode go viral was less the sum of money involved than the human element it revealed. In a country where housing costs, tuition fees, and inflation have tightened household budgets, a 70,000‑won price tag is enough to raise eyebrows even among middle‑class shoppers. Seeing the nation’s First Lady react in the same way ordinary consumers do – with a half‑laugh, a “that’s a bit pricey” sigh, and a willingness to pay – struck a chord. Commentators noted the scene’s relatability, pointing out that political figures are rarely seen navigating the minutiae of daily shopping. In the age of social media, that glimpse of normalcy can feel refreshing, or in some cases, a calculated piece of image‑building.

Analysts see the market visit as part of a broader public‑relations strategy. Since taking office, Lee Jae‑myung has been eager to portray himself as a president attuned to the concerns of ordinary citizens, especially after a turbulent election that saw his party’s narrow victory over the incumbent. The “beneficial consumption voucher” programme, which offers cash assistance to low‑income households to spend at local merchants, is a flagship policy of his administration. By placing himself and Kim Hye‑kyung among market vendors and shoppers, the couple hoped to underscore their commitment to grassroots economics. The pajama moment, whether intended or not, became a memorable vignette that reinforced the narrative of accessibility.

The episode also sparked a flurry of online commentary. On Weibo, where the story was trending for several hours, users posted side‑by‑side clips of the First Lady’s reaction alongside memes of other world leaders’ shopping mishaps. Some praised Kim Hye‑kyung for her “natural reaction” and contrasted her down‑to‑earth demeanor with that of previous first ladies, while others injected humor, dubbing the pajamas “the new diplomatic uniform.” A subset of commentators turned the discussion toward the broader the cost of living, asking whether 70,000 won truly reflects the price pressures facing South Koreans today. A few skeptics, however, dismissed the viral moment as a media distraction, suggesting that the focus on a pajama purchase detracted from more substantive policy debates.

It is worth noting that the pajama incident emerged amid a wave of unrelated political news. Just days earlier, former first lady Kim Keon‑hee, wife of President Yoon Suk‑yeol, was arrested on charges unrelated to the current administration. While the two stories occasionally appeared together in headlines due to the shared “first lady” label, there is no evidence that the market visit or the pajama purchase was intended as a response to those events. The separation underscores how quickly an otherwise innocuous scene can become a talking point in a media environment saturated with political drama.

In translation, the Korean phrase “한국 첫 번째 부인이 이재명에게 잠옷을 사다 주다” has been rendered variously in English: “The First Lady of South Korea bought pajamas for Lee Jae‑myung,” “South Korea’s First Lady bought Lee Jae‑myung pajamas,” and “The South Korean First Lady purchased pajamas for Lee Jae‑myung.” All convey the same factual core while differing in tone, a reminder that even the words we use to describe a simple purchase can shape public perception.

Ultimately, the pajama purchase will likely be remembered not for its fiscal impact but for what it revealed about a presidency seeking intimacy with its constituents. Whether the moment will endure as a genuine sign of relatability or fade as another fleeting meme remains to be seen, but for now it offers a modest, human snapshot of life at the highest echelons of South Korean politics.