South Korean President promotes national cuisine on television

According to the Korea Times , the episode aired on the evening of October 6 during the Chuseok (Mid-Autumn Festival) holiday marked the first time President Lee Jae Myung appeared on an entertainment program since taking office.

Even before it aired, the show attracted great public attention.

During the program, Mr. Lee emphasized the goal of introducing Korean cuisine as an important cultural asset.

“Culture is one of our most important strengths. K-pop and dramas are very popular, but the core is still food. Once you love a certain taste, it is hard to forget. That is why Korean food is always alive,” the President of South Korea shared.

The comment reflects Mr. Lee's efforts to promote the country's soft power through cuisine, with the idea that traditional ingredients such as siraegi (dried radish leaves often used in stews) can be branded and exported abroad.

President Lee also called the siraegi mackerel stew cooked by the First Lady his favorite dish, describing it as “nostalgic, vitamin-rich, healthy,” and emphasized that with the “Made in Korea” label, the dish can be easily exported globally.

In the show, participating chefs are asked to create “Korean Cuisine to Share with the World ,” using ingredients like siraegi to create creative dishes, from siraegi pizza, gangjeong shrimp to sweet fried shrimp.

In the first round, the President and his wife chose shrimp gangjeong instead of the modern samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup).

“Samgyetang is great, but shrimp is more Korean. It is easier to store, transport and has more export potential, ” said Mr. Lee.

Round two pitted a unique pizza made with siraegi and nurungji rice against siraegi songpyeon, a variation on traditional rice cakes. Tasting the lotus root tempura topping on the pizza, Mr. Lee suggested that it could become a separate product for export.

First Lady Kim Hea Kyung also shared a memorable moment when she taught children how to make gimbap during a visit to New York: “Before, they called it sushi,” she said with a laugh. “Now they proudly call it gimbap.”

The woman behind the success of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung

VHO - After 35 years of being with and accompanying President Lee Jae-myung, from a blind date to the position of First Lady, Ms. Kim Hye-kyung has written a story of resilience and silence behind the turbulent political spotlight.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-gioi/tong-thong-han-quoc-quang-ba-am-thuc-nuoc-nha-tren-truyen-hinh-172973.html