First lady hosts luncheon for Chinese women serving as bridges in bilateral relations during state visit

Korean first lady Kim Hea Kyung hosted on Monday a luncheon for Chinese women who serve as bridges for Seoul-Beijing relations during President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to China.

Korean first lady Kim Hea Kyung, right, serves Korean cuisine at a luncheon meeting for Chinese women — who serve as a bridge between Korea and China — at the Korean ambassador to China’s residence in Beijing on Jan. 5. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

BEIJING — Korean first lady Kim Hea Kyung hosted on Monday a luncheon for Chinese women who serve as bridges for Seoul-Beijing relations during President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to China.

Kim hosted the luncheon at the Korean ambassador to China's residence in Beijing and served tteokmanduguk (rice cake and dumpling soup) to guests, personally adding garnishes to each bowl.

She said that in Korea, tteok, or rice cake, is made and eaten on New Year's Day, while in China, dumplings are made and eaten on holidays such as the Lunar New Year.

“Today, I prepared tteokmanduguk, incorporating the New Year's traditions of both countries,” Kim said.

She expressed her hopes that “the relationship between China and Korea will get better and better.”

Korean first lady Kim Hea Kyung, left, shakes hands with Wang Dan, the director of the Korean Peninsula Researcg Center and vice dean of Peking University's School of Foreign Languages at a luncheon meeting for Chinese women — who serve as a bridge between Korea and China — at the Korean ambassador to China’s residence in Beijing on Jan. 5. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Nine women attended the luncheon, including Wang Dan, a professor in the Department of Korean Language and Culture and the deputy director of the Institute of Area Studies at Peking University, and other members of academia, business and culture, as well as a descendant of a Korean independence activist.

“The bilateral friendship was truly brought to life at the table through the first lady’s hands,” Wang said on behalf of the attendees. “I believe this is not just a simple lunch but a true bond that transcends languages and borders.”

The lunch menu also included tteokgalbi (short rib patties), which were served at the state banquet for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, last year.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]