President Lee Jae Myung is set to host foreign ambassadors and representatives of international organizations at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday, serving Korean-style barbecue and chimaek, the popular pairing of fried chicken and beer.
According to the presidential office in Seoul, the guest list for the dinner reception includes ambassadors from 118 resident diplomatic missions, led by Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Shafik Rachadi, Morocco’s ambassador to South Korea, as well as representatives from 30 international organizations.
The banquet marks the first reception for the diplomatic corps to be held at Nokjiwon Garden within Cheong Wa Dae in seven years, since 2019.
At the head table, Rachadi; James Heller, charge d’affaires ad interim at the US Embassy; Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Mizushima Koichi; EU Ambassador to Korea Ugo Astuto; and Fang Kun, charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy, are set to be seated alongside President Lee.
Other guests at the head table include Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari, the Apostolic Nuncio to Korea; New Zealand Ambassador to Korea Dawn Bennet; Philippine Ambassador to Korea Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez; Mongolian Ambassador to Korea Sukhbold Sukhee; Chilean Ambassador to Korea Mathias Francke; and South African Ambassador to Korea Sindiswa Mququ.
Cheong Wa Dae said the seating arrangement for the head table was determined with consideration for South Korea’s key diplomatic engagements this year, as well as regional balance and representation.
For the menu, Cheong Wa Dae said it was designed around a Korean-style charcoal barbecue and chimaek theme, reflecting the atmosphere of Nokjiwon Garden in June.
The menu includes Korean-style seasoned and fried chicken paired with fresh Cass draft beer, one of South Korea’s most popular local beer brands.
As the main course, the Korean-style barbecue menu features a variety of seasonal ingredients selected with consideration for the religious and dietary practices of the guests.
All ingredients, except for pork belly, will be prepared in accordance with halal standards.
Guests will also be offered traditional Korean accompaniments, including fresh geotjeori, a type of unfermented kimchi, and ssambap, rice wrapped in leafy vegetables.
Lee’s office said South Korea has regularly hosted diplomatic corps receptions led by the president at the presidential compound since 1998. Through the receptions, a Korean president demonstrates the head of state’s commitment to strengthening friendly ties with foreign countries and seeks support and cooperation for key government policies.
By resurrecting the diplomatic corps reception at the Cheong Wa Dae presidential compound, Lee “aims to publicly convey that regular communication with the foreign diplomatic corps has been fully restored and to further expand substantive exchanges with diplomats stationed in Seoul,” senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung previously explained.
During the dinner, Lee is expected to brief the diplomatic corps on his administration’s foreign policy achievements, including the outcome of his first trip to Europe earlier this month.
Lee will also outline key priorities for advancing his administration’s “pragmatic diplomacy” agenda in its second year and seek continued support and cooperation from the international community, according to Kang.
dagyumji@heraldcorp.com
