Visiting UN Memorial Park Leads to Jagalchi Market Visit
Yoon Tries Catching Live Eel Himself
President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Geon-hee visited the Busan UN Memorial Park on the 27th, marking the 70th anniversary of the armistice agreement, and then went to Jagalchi Market, Busan's representative traditional market.
As public anxiety grew ahead of the discharge of contaminated water from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, this visit to the seafood market is interpreted as an effort to soothe public sentiment.
The presidential couple toured Jagalchi Market in the afternoon and greeted the merchants. When President Yoon and his wife got out of the car, market vendors and citizens chanted "Yoon Suk-yeol, Yoon Suk-yeol."
President Yoon shook hands with citizens from the market entrance and responded to requests for photos from the merchants.
They then entered the market and stopped by a sashimi restaurant to look at shrimp, abalone, and other seafood. The First Lady asked about the names of fish at a shop across the aisle.
A merchant held up sea urchins and shrimp, saying, "Madam, please pick one," and she touched the sea urchins and shrimp.
When President Yoon asked, "Is this eel or anago (conger eel)? How much does this weigh?" the merchant replied it was about 500g and scooped up the conger eel with a net. President Yoon tried to catch the conger eel with his bare hands but it slipped, so he used a handkerchief to hold it, saying, "It's just sticking on."
When the merchant said squid was in season, President Yoon showed his gourmet side, saying, "You can slice this into sashimi, chop it finely and wrap it to eat, or grill it separately after slicing." Afterwards, the aides purchased squid and other seafood from the shop.
Mrs. Kim also took out a 'Busan Is Ready' keyring, which she had helped produce, and handed it out to citizens.
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