Yoon-Kishida 'Couples Dinner'... Sukiyaki at Horigotatsu

Kim Sung-han, National Security Office Chief: "Purpose is to Enhance Intimacy"

After the Korea-Japan summit, President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee had a friendly dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife on the 16th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The presidential office spokesperson Lee Do-woon stated that the Yoon couple visited 'Yoshizawa Restaurant' in Ginza, Tokyo, Japan at 7:40 PM that evening for the friendly dinner with the Kishida couple.

Yoshizawa Restaurant is a Japanese restaurant famous for sukiyaki. Prime Minister Kishida, who was already at the restaurant, came out to the entrance to welcome the Yoon couple, and the four of them took a commemorative photo together at the restaurant entrance, the spokesperson introduced.

Afterwards, the two couples sat in a traditional Japanese-style (horigotatsu) room, with four people seated for interpretation, and the Yoon couple and the Kishida couple also took commemorative photos at the dinner venue.

On the way to the restaurant, many Japanese people were waiting for the Yoon couple, and some were seen taking photos with their phones with curious eyes. Also, the staff of Yoshizawa Restaurant gathered to welcome the Yoon couple when they arrived at the restaurant.

National Security Office Chief Kim Sung-han said in a briefing, "This dinner was personally selected and invited by Prime Minister Kishida with the purpose of enhancing intimacy between the two heads of state and their spouses," he told reporters.

Chief Kim explained, "It can be compared to the sushi dinner former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had with former U.S. President Barack Obama or the grilled skewer dinner with former U.S. President Donald Trump." He added that it can be interpreted as Japan's hospitality culture called 'Omotenashi' (sincere hospitality).

Afterwards, the two leaders are scheduled to move to 'Rengatei,' a 128-year-old Japanese-style Western cuisine restaurant located about 200 meters from Yoshizawa for a second round of talks. The Japanese government reportedly chose Rengatei as the venue for the second dinner reflecting President Yoon's preference for omurice.

[Image source=Yonhap News]