Presidential Spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom Briefs Media on Menu of 2018 Inter-Korean Summit Welcoming Dinner
Apr 24,2018
Cheong Wa Dae
Press
Release
April
24, 2018
Presidential Spokesperson
Kim Eui-kyeom
Briefs Media on Menu of
2018
Inter-Korean Summit
Welcoming Dinner
The
welcoming dinner for the inter-Korean summit on April 27 has been arranged in
honor of the spirit of those who worked hard for peace and unification of
Korea. Best efforts have been made to prepare
dishes using ingredients from their hometowns and a workplace.
The
dinner features mineohaesam pyeonsu,
pyramid-shaped dumplings stuffed with minced croakers and seasoned sea
cucumbers caught around Gageodo Island of Sinan-gun County in Jeollanam-do
Province, the hometown of President Kim Dae-jung (1924-2009); a bowl of rice
made from rice cultivated with an eco-friendly method utilizing ducks to weed
the paddies in Bongha Village, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, the birthplace of
President Roh Moo-hyun (1946-2009); charcoal-grilled beef from Seosan Ranch in
Chungcheongnam-do Province, from which Hyundai Group Founder and Chairman Chung
Ju-yung (1915-2001) led a convoy of cattle-filled trucks on a visit to North
Korea; and cold salad mixed with sliced octopus caught in the waters off
Tongyeong, a coastal city in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, the hometown of
Korean-German composer Isang Yun (1917-1995).
Grilled
John Dory, a staple fish dish in Busan where President Moon Jae-in spent his
childhood, and potato pancake reinterpreted in a Korean style from rösti, a dish made in Switzerland where
Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong Un spent his childhood, will
also be served.
Another
item on the menu is naengmyeon, or
cold noodle soup, served by Okryugwan, a restaurant in Pyeongyang. President
Moon Jae-in suggested to the North that Okryugwan Pyeongyang-style naengmyeon be served for dinner during the inter-Korean summit, and the North readily
accepted it.
The
North will dispatch a top chef from Okryugwan to Panmunjeom on the day of the
summit, April 27, to serve naengmyeon
and install a noodle-making machine of Okryugwan at Thongil House on the
northern side of Panmunjeom. Fresh naengmyeon
made at the House will be immediately conveyed to Peace House, the venue for
the welcoming dinner, thus reproducing the flavor of Okryugwan naengmyeon.
For
alcoholic beverages to be served at the
dinner, Dugyeonju produced in
Myeoncheon area, Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do Province, and Munbaesul were selected. Dugyeonju
is a fragrant drink made from azalea petals and glutinous rice. The drink is
famous as it was described by an old saying,
Baekyakjijang, which means alcoholic beverage is the best among all
medicines. It was named Dugyeonju
because azaleas were also known as Dugyeonhwa.
Munbaesul dates back to the Goryeo
Period (918-1392) one thousand years ago. It was designated as Important
Intangible Cultural Property No. 86, and the liquor at the dinner was distilled
by Korean Food Grand Master No. 7. Although Munbaesul
originated from Pyeongan-do Province now in North Korea, it is now
considered a great alcoholic beverage in the South.