1 of 2 | South Korean first lady Kim Hye-kyung (L) took time on Wednesday to explore New York City’s Koreatown while promoting Korean culture as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (R, pictured in June) attended the 80th U.N. General Assembly. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
While South Korean President Lee Jae Myung attended the 80th U.N. General Assembly, first lady Kim Hye-kyung engaged in cultural exchange in New York City’s Koreatown on Wednesday.
South Korea’s first lady visited a Korean school in Manhattan, where 18 young students joined her in preparing gimbap, which is a traditional Korean dish made with rice, vegetables, a flat bread roll called bap and optional meat or seafood, The Korea Times reported.
The dish is rolled in dried seaweed, called gim, and cut into slices for eating.
Her visit to the school served the dual purpose of encouraging young Koreans who live abroad to reconnect with their Korean heritage, while also introducing them to traditional Korean foods.
“I hope today’s experience was not just about making gimbap, but also about learning and appreciating the culture of Korean food,” Kim said, as reported by The Korea Times.
She also participated in a “K-Food roundtable” held at the Korean Cultural Center in New York, where she discussed the growing global popularity of Korean foods with Korean chefs and K-food experts, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.
“I came to realize just how popular Korean cuisine is in the United States,” Kim said.
“Ten years ago, kids would get teased for bringing gimbap for lunch to school,” she said. “Now it’s incredibly popular.”
The roundtable included chefs from highly rated Korean restaurants, including Chef Hooni Kim of Danji.
“As I studied the history of Korean cuisine, I realized that while taste is important, the true strength of Korean food lies in its ability to heal,” Hooni said.
He cited the nutritional value of meju as an example, which is a brick of dried and fermented soybeans that contain beneficial probiotics.
Kim also participated in an event hosted by U.S. first lady Melania Trump on Tuesday and that invited the spouses of the heads of state during the 80th U.N. General Assembly in New York City, Chosun reported.
Many of those attending that event commented on the rising popularity of Korean culture, spurred by K-Pop music and Korean television programs and films, such as the award-winning “Parasite.”
The United Nations’ 80th General Assembly concluded on Thursday.
