By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
First lady Kim Yoon-ok, accompanying President Lee Myung-bak on a seven-day U.S. visit, ate traditional Korean food together with some 50 U.S. veterans who fought in South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War and their families in New York, Monday.
She cooked various foods, such as haemulpajeon (seafood pancake), bulgogi (barbecued beef) and japchae (a mixture of noodles and vegetables), for the event.
"I'm very glad to have lunch with those who sacrificed themselves to defend South Korea and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula," the first lady told the participants. "We will never forget your contributions to Korea's development and democracy."
Kim expressed gratitude for their efforts to strengthen the alliance between Korea and the United States.
The party was a part of efforts to promote Korean cuisine, or "hansik," around the world. She has been serving as the honorary chairwoman of the steering committee launched in May for hansik globalization.
Kim, 62, is known to have a keen interest in traditional Korean food and clothes. She has said hansik has great potential to become a new trend in the global culinary culture.
Early this year, the administration launched the "Global Hansik" campaign to make Korean food one of the five most popular ethnic foods in the world, initiating plans to create a 50-billion-won fund and open Korean cooking classes at world-renowned cooking schools.
Under the program, the government also aims to increase the number of Korean restaurants overseas to 40,000 by 2017 and promote on the international stage the uniqueness and healthy nature of the cuisine.
Earlier on Monday, Kim invited 15 female leaders of the Korean community in New York to a hotel to encourage them.
jj@koreatimes.co.kr
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