First lady charms NYC with Korean dishes

First lady Kim Jung-sook makes ganjang-gejang (crab marinated with soy sauce) for serving Korean residents living in Flushing, New York at Kitchen in Cheong Wa Dae. / Yonhap

By Chyung Eun-ju

First lady Kim Jung-sook expressed her gratitude to Koreans in the United States, serving traditional dishes to about 300 Korean residents from Flushing, New York, on Wednesday (local time).

Kim personally prepared the food on the private plane she boarded with President Moon Jae-in on Monday to attend the U.N. General Assembly.

“Rather than coming empty handed, I brought kimchi that I made myself,” she said on her visit to the Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York (KCS) that was established in 1973 as the first Korean social welfare facility in the U.S.

Kim also served gomtang (Korean beef bone soup), kkagdugi (kimchi-like sliced radish) and ganjang-gejang (crab marinated with soy sauce).

“The reason I packed ganjang-gejang and brought it to New York is because it is hard to find in the U.S.,” Kim said. “I wanted to serve it to the people who are homesick for Korean food.

“I have great fondness for the elders that have gone abroad for the progress of our country. I wanted to first meet the elders in Washington and New York. They have overcome the language barriers and other difficulties of living in a foreign land; my heart is overwhelmed with emotions.

“Everyone will have a different memory of Korea. Even though a lot of time has passed, I am very thankful for the elders’ unchanging consideration for our nation’s safety.”

The first generation of Korean immigrants to the U.S. have called Flushing home since 1960 and established Korea Town.