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Ambassadors' spouses experience Korea's traditional liquor
Song Mi-ryung, right, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, introduces one of Korea’s 36 traditional alcoholic beverages selected for a K-Sool experience event to the spouses of ambassadors at Korea House in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
By Ko Dong-hwan
Spouses of diplomatic ambassadors in Korea experienced a curated selection of the country’s traditional alcoholic beverages paired with Korean cuisine in a government-hosted event Wednesday aimed at promoting Korea’s gastronomic culture.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said the dignitaries gathered at Korea House in Seoul, run by the Korea Heritage Agency, for the event, which was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The invitation follows the government’s designation of its embassies in 30 countries as official outposts for promoting Korean food and traditional liquor.
Thirty-six Korean traditional alcoholic beverages — ranging from makgeolli (fermented rice wine) to yakju (refined rice wine), fruit wine and soju (distilled rice wine) — were served. Authorities said the selection of "K-Sool," referring to Korean liquor, was handpicked by a special committee based on each product’s recipe, history and philosophy. The government added that it has finalized the nomenclature for the four alcohol categories and will begin promoting them worldwide as part of South Korea’s global outreach.
Ahead of the event, the government completed an English-language guidebook on the selected traditional liquors and distributed it to overseas embassies. The material provides detailed information on each product’s brewing technique, tasting profile, food pairings, retail locations and prices, and cocktail recipes.
The initiative helps the government not only promote K-Sool but also support liquor brands in expanding their exports. The government said it will continue scaling up the country’s global markets for traditional liquor and advancing the products’ quality.
“K-Sool is a precious cultural asset that encompasses the country’s agriculture, geography, deep-rooted history and storytelling. It can maximize synergy when growing together with the spread of K-food," Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung said.
Lim Sang-woo, ambassador for public diplomacy, said the foreign ministry is currently witnessing rising global interest in K-food through over 170 overseas missions.
“Through synergy from cooperation between ministries, we’ll spread the charm of Korea’s traditional liquor worldwide," he added.