Korean traditional cuisine, liquor served at dinner for Kishida

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Mon, October 2, 2023 | 21:22

Foreign Affairs

Korean traditional cuisine, liquor served at dinner for Kishida

Posted : 2023-05-07 21:55

Updated : 2023-05-07 22:04

President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee, on the left side, treat visiting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko Kishida to a Korean dinner at the presidential residence in Yongsan District, Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of presidential office

By Lee Hyo-jin

Following their summit, Sunday, President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida bonded over traditional Korean cuisine paired with rice wine during dinner at the presidential residence.

According to the presidential office, Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee spent the evening with the prime minister and his wife Yuko Kishida at the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, during which the Japanese first couple was treated to traditional Korean food.

The dinner began at around 7:30 p.m., followed by some cultural events.

A total of eight Korean delicacies, along with side dishes such as kimchi and seasoned vegetables, were served.

Among the main dishes were "gujeolpan," a platter of nine delicacies to represent harmony between Korea and Japan, "galbijjim," braised beef short ribs which is a popular dish among foreign nationals, "bulgogi," Korean barbequed beef, as well as "naengmyeon" or cold noodles.

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The food was paired with "Gyeongju Beopju," a type of clear rice wine, which was added to the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 1986. The liquor was created by the prestigious Choi family in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

"Hangwa," Korean traditional confectionaries, and "sikhye," sweet rice punch, were served as desserts.

The dinner arranged by Yoon was seen as a gesture of reciprocity for Kishida's earlier treat. During Yoon's visit to Tokyo in March, the Japanese leader took Yoon and Kim to dinner at a restaurant in Ginza district famous for "sukiyaki" or beef stew.

After the official dinner, Kishida invited Yoon to another restaurant famous for "omurice," or fried rice topped with an omelet, for an ice-breaking dinner, taking into account that the dish was one of the Korean president's favorites. The two leaders mixed soju and beer to make a drink called "somaek" in Korean, to symbolize the friendship between the two countries.

President Yoon Suk Yeol shows Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida a glass frame containing vintage baseball items he recently received from U.S. President Joe Biden, ahead of a bilateral summit held at the Korean presidential office, Sunday. Courtesy of presidential office

Kishida became the second state leader to have been invited to Yoon's residence for a meal, following Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who visited Seoul last November. The rare invitation to the presidential residence highlights Yoon's eagerness to bolster ties with Japan.

The Japanese prime minister arrived in Seoul earlier in the day for a two-day visit. Yoon and Kishida held a summit in the afternoon, during which they pledged to strengthen cooperation in security, the economy, people-to-people ties, as well as responding to shared global challenges.

Prior to the summit, Yoon cordially welcomed the Japanese first couple who arrived at the presidential office at around 3:35 p.m. After Yoon and Kim greeted Kishida and his wife at the door, a welcoming ceremony was held.

The ceremony, which included playing the two countries' national anthems and a joint honor guard review, was reportedly the largest in scale for such an event since Yoon took office in May last year.

lhj@koreatimes.co.kr