From K-pop star to custom Ghana chocolate bar: How Lee welcomes world leaders

President Lee Jae Myung and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk shake hands during a summit at Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul, Monday. Newsis

President Lee Jae Myung is rewriting the diplomatic playbook with "personalized guest experiences." By matching gifts and guest lists to visiting leaders, Lee has helped build rapport and draw attention.

Lee's strategy often involves the pets of visiting dignitaries.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a vocal advocate for animal welfare and a dog owner, received hanbok capes, a traditional Korean garment, for his pet during his visit. Tusk said he was touched by the gesture.

During Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's visit in February, Lee presented hanbok capes and a gat — a traditional Korean hat — for the leader's three dogs.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk shares a photo of his pet dog on Instagram in September 2025. President Lee Jae Myung presented Tusk with hanbok capes for the dog during Tusk's official visit to Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of presidential office and captured from Tusk's Instagram

When Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto departed Seoul early this month, Lee gave him a cat outfit styled as a "gonryongpo," a traditional Korean royal robe. The two leaders bonded over the fact that both own pets named Bobby — the name for Lee's dog and Subianto's cat.

Lee also uses custom gifts to acknowledge personal preferences and shared histories.

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama received a custom-made Ghana chocolate bar during his March visit. The chocolate, launched in Korea in 1975 and made with more than 80 percent Ghanaian cacao beans, makes a fitting symbolic gift for bilateral friendship. When asked at the summit if he liked the chocolate, Mahama said, "Very much."

President Lee Jae Myung presented a custom-made Ghana chocolate bar to Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama in Seoul, March 10. Courtesy of the presidential office

Knowing that pink is Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's favorite color, Lee gifted her a pink Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 during her January visit. Following a state luncheon, Meloni used the smartphone to take a selfie with Lee and posted it on her social media accounts.

This recreated a viral moment from earlier in January, when Lee and the first lady took a selfie with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife using a Xiaomi smartphone during a state visit to Beijing.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posts a selfie with President Lee Jae Myung on Instagram, Jan. 19. Meloni used a pink Samsung smartphone gifted by Lee to take the photo. Captured from Meloni's Instagram

Beyond gifts, Lee also used guest lists and menus to highlight cultural ties.

To honor France's gastronomy during French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit from April 2-3, the state banquet featured dishes by Son Jong-won, a Michelin-starred chef who has earned one star each for his French and Korean restaurants in Seoul. The Korean national baking team, which won the World Cup of Baking in France, prepared the dessert.

President Lee Jae Myung, first lady Kim Hea Kyung, French President Emmanuel Macron and first lady Brigitte Macron listen to chef Son Jong-won describe a dish during a dinner at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, April 2. Courtesy of presidential office

Lee also departed from the tradition of inviting only politicians and corporate executives for his state luncheon with the Indonesian president. The guest list included Carmen, an Indonesian member of K-pop group Hearts2Hearts, and Sugianto, an Indonesian worker who received a presidential commendation for rescuing elderly residents during a wildfire in eastern Korea last year.

From left, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Carmen of K-pop group Hearts2Hearts and President Lee Jae Myung pose during a state luncheon at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, April 1. Captured from President Lee Jae Myung's Facebook

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.