Bibimbap served at Moon-Trump dinner
By Kim Hyo-jin
The traditional Korean dish “bibimbap” was the White House’s pick for a dinner welcoming South Korean President Moon Jae-in to Washington, Thursday.
The dish comprised of rice mixed with a variety of vegetables, has an implied meaning of harmony and collaboration.
At the first meeting between Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, it was served as the main dish at a reception dinner, a choice which officials believe reflected Washington’s determination to emphasize the countries’ strong alliance and hopes for cooperation.
Moon and Trump discussed North Korea’s nuclear issue and Korea-U.S. trade deals over the “Chive Butter, Herbed Carolina Gold Rice Bibimbap.”
It has been a popular dish when South Korean leaders welcome foreign leaders on their visits here.
Former President Park Geun-hye served her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin bibimbap on his visit to Cheong Wa Dae in Novermber 2013.
Her predecessor Lee Myung-bak also treated his guests to the bibimbap with bean sprouts during a state banquet he hosted at the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit.
At the time, Cheong Wa Dae explained that the meal signified hope for worldwide cooperation against nuclear expansion.
During the 2007 inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, ex-late President Roh Moo-hyun served North Korean officials with the dish, a move that reflected his hopes for conciliation and unity between the two countries.
The White House dinner between the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. was the first in six years since Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama and President Lee had their dinner in October 2011.
Then, the main dish of the official dinner was wagyu beef from Texas but Obama treated Lee with bibimbap at Wooraeok, a Korean Restaurant in Washington D.C., a day before the state banquet.
The informal dinner was reportedly prepared as Obama hoped to communicate with Lee in a relaxed atmosphere. Hilary Clinton, then secretary of state, accompanied Obama and ate the dish too, according to officials.
The reception dinner for President Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook lasted 125 minutes, 35 minutes longer than planned.