SEOUL (THE WASHINGTON POST) - It isn't often that a First Lady gets upstaged. But that was what happened to Mrs Melania Trump as she and her husband travel through Asia this week.
During a stop in South Korea on Tuesday (Nov 7), Mrs Trump brought her considerable star power to an event promoting the importance of sports. While on stage with a gaggle of middle-school girls, the United States First Lady put her arm around one young student. A few moments later, the teenager began to scream with glee.
The girl's excitement was directed at someone other than Mrs Trump, who happened to be standing right next to K-pop mega-star Choi Min Ho, a member of the wildly popular boy band SHINee. Min Ho's established star power eclipsed the First Lady's, and a video of that moment of realisation has gone viral in South Korea.
Mrs Trump, after sharing morning tea with her husband Donald and their South Korean counterparts, attended a promotional event, where she lauded the Olympic Games and received stuffed replicas of the 2018 Olympic mascots.
While there, Mrs Trump also promoted another Olympic campaign, Girls Play 2, an initiative meant to encourage more young girls to play sports.
"Sport teaches children about teamwork, dedication, discipline, and how to succeed under pressure. When we assure girls and boys have equal access to sports, we are ensuring they have an equal chance to gain these valuable skills," she said (via Inside the Games) at the event held at the US ambassador's residence in Seoul.
"As we look forward to the Olympics, I call on all of us to encourage even more girls to play sports," Mrs Trump continued. "Let's give boys and girls equal access to sports facilities, equipment and to coaches. Let's remind the world that girls play, too."
