"President's Face Hidden by Soup Bowl"... Staff Smile as He Drinks the Broth in One Go

Photo of President Lee at Lunch with New Public Officials
Face Hidden Behind Soup Bowl

President Lee Jae Myung is having lunch with attendees after giving a special lecture titled "The Era of Popular Sovereignty, The Path of Public Officials" to the 70th class of 5th-grade new managers at the National Civil Service Human Resources Development Institute in Jincheon, Chungbuk on the 14th. The person in the red circle is President Lee. Office of the President

A photo of President Lee Jae Myung holding a soup bowl and drinking the broth has drawn public attention.

On the 15th, the Presidential Office released photos of President Lee having lunch with the 70th class of new 5th-grade public officials at the National Civil Service Human Resources Development Institute in Jincheon, Chungbuk, the previous day.

In the photo, President Lee is seen in the cafeteria, lifting the entire soup bowl to drink from it. His face is completely hidden by the bowl.

President Lee Jae Myung had lunch with the participants after delivering a special lecture titled "The Era of Popular Sovereignty, The Path of Public Officials" to the 70th class of 5th-grade new managers at the National Human Resources Development Institute for Public Officials in Jincheon, Chungbuk, on the 14th. President Lee is seen returning his tray after finishing all the soup. Photo by Presidential Office

Since photos distributed by the Presidential Office typically feature the president prominently, this particular image, in which President Lee’s face is obscured, is being described as unusual.

This photo of President Lee has been dubbed the "presidential drinking shot" online and has become a trending topic. Online users commented, "It took me a while to find where the president was," and "I looked at the photo three times before I could spot the president."

President Lee Jae Myung is having lunch with attendees after giving a special lecture titled "Era of Popular Sovereignty, The Path of Public Officials" to the 70th class of 5th-grade new manager trainees at the National Officials Training Institute in Jincheon, Chungbuk on the 14th. Photo by the Presidential Office

On this day, President Lee delivered a special lecture titled "Era of Popular Sovereignty, The Path of Public Officials," speaking for about 20 minutes and then taking questions from trainees for 40 minutes. It is the second time since former President Roh Moo Hyun in 2005 that a sitting president has given a special lecture to probationary officials. When asked by a trainee, "If you were the interviewer, what kind of public official would you want to select?" President Lee replied, "People's hearts are written on their faces," and emphasized "a kind heart and a sense of responsibility as a public official."