President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee watch Aok Rotha, center, a Cambodian boy who received heart surgery in Korea, kick a ball during their meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of presidential office

By Nam Hyun-woo

President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee celebrated the successful recovery of a Cambodian boy who received heart surgery in Korea, by spending time with him on Tuesday.

According to the presidential office, the presidential couple met Aok Rotha from Cambodia at Yoon's office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday, before the boy's return to his home country after receiving the successful surgery.

First lady Kim Keon Hee holds Aok Rotha during her visit to the boy's home in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 12. Courtesy of presidential office

First lady Kim's ties with the Cambodian boy began in November last year when she visited the Hebron Medical Center in Phnom Penh, on the sidelines of President Yoon's official trip to Southeast Asia.

At the hospital, Kim was briefed on the story of Rotha, who was suffering from congenital heart disease, and learned that he underwent surgery in Cambodia in 2018 but could not receive follow-up treatment due to the family's economic difficulties.

Kim visited Rotha's home the next day and returned to the medical center on Nov. 13 to discuss potential support for the boy.

Several Koreans expressed their intention to help Rotha who underwent surgery on his heart at Asan Medical Center at the expense of the hospital, the Asan Foundation and numerous other supporters.

First lady Kim Keon Hee and Aok Rotha open a Christmas gift during Kim's visit to Asan Medical Center in Songpa District, Seoul, Dec. 21, after the Cambodian boy received heart surgery at the hospital. Courtesy of presidential office

After Rotha's surgery, Kim visited Asan Medical Center on Dec. 21, describing the story as "a miracle." She said that the hospital's medical staff "gave hope to not only Koreans and Cambodians, but also to those who are suffering difficulties all across the world."

During Tuesday's meeting, Yoon gave Rotha a soccer ball after learning that he had never played soccer before due to his illness. They practiced passing at Yoon's office, according to the senior presidential secretary for public relations Kim Eun-hye.

"When Kim first met Rotha in Cambodia, he was so thin. The first lady could easily lift him up in her arms. But this time, she had more difficulty, with Yoon saying 'you may end up dropping him,'" an official at the presidential office said.

First lady Kim Keon Hee holds Aok Rotha during the boy's visit to the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of presidential office

Yoon and Kim also presented Rotha with a book bag and stationery. They expressed their hope for Rotha to get well. Rotha also expressed his gratitude to the presidential couple with a postcard decorated with flowers.

According to a press release from the presidential office, Kim expressed her gratitude to Korean Air for bringing him safely to Korea, saying that she was worried whether Rotha could be safely carried from Cambodia to Korea. She also expressed her gratitude and admiration for the medical staff at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, who helped Rotha make a successful recovery after his surgery.

"Since meeting Rotha in Cambodia in November, everything that has happened so far feels like a miracle," Kim was quoted as saying.

President Yoon Suk Yeol controls a soccer ball at the presidential office during his meeting with Aok Rotha, a Cambodian boy who received heart surgery in Korea last December, Tuesday. Courtesy of presidential office