President Lee and First Lady Host APEC Welcome Dinner; Army Private Cha Eunwoo to Emcee [Gyeongju APEC]

A Harmonious Fusion of Korean and Western Cuisine
Star Chef Edward Lee Participates in Menu Development
"Showcasing the Spirit of Unity in the Asia-Pacific and Korea’s Culinary Culture"
Cultural Performance Themed "Journey of Butterfly: Together, We Fly" to Follow the Dinner

The Presidential Office announced that on October 31, President Lee Jaemyung and the First Lady will host an official welcome dinner in Gyeongju for approximately 400 guests, including the leaders and their spouses from 21 APEC member economies and invited countries, heads of international organizations, global CEOs, and key domestic and international figures, who are visiting Korea to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

Yonhap News Agency

This dinner will feature a menu personally developed by world-renowned star chef Edward Lee, highlighting a harmonious blend of Korean and Western cuisines. The menu will include Korean dishes such as vegetable bibimbap and braised short ribs made with ingredients from Gyeongju, combined with Western-style dishes like pies and caramel desserts. The aim is to showcase the spirit of unity in the Asia-Pacific region and Korea’s culinary culture to the attendees.

The host for the APEC Summit welcome dinner will be singer and actor Cha Eunwoo. Kang Yujeong, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, explained, “This is intended to promote K-pop and K-culture, which are garnering global attention.” Cha Eunwoo, who enlisted for active duty in the Army this past July, is currently serving in the Military Band of the Ministry of National Defense’s Support Unit. Holding the rank of Private First Class, he was officially requested by the APEC Summit Preparatory Committee to serve as the master of ceremonies for the dinner, and the Ministry of National Defense granted approval after review.

APEC Summit Welcome Dinner Menu (Provided by the Presidential Office)

APEC Summit Welcome Dinner Menu (Provided by the Presidential Office)

Following the dinner, a cultural performance titled “Journey of Butterfly: Together, We Fly” will take place. The performance is structured in three acts connecting the past, present, and future-beginning with the splendid history of Silla, moving to the current era of K-culture, and culminating with a vision of the future symbolized by AI and robotics technology. Through this, the message of “a sustainable tomorrow we create together,” even in an era of growing uncertainty, will be expressed through Korean culture and technology. The performance will feature G-Dragon, Honey J and Lee Jung, and 11-year-old violinist Kim Yeona.

In the leaders’ lounge, representative cultural artifacts from Silla-such as gold-embossed floral and bird patterns excavated from Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, a corner pillar from the Gujeong-dong Square Tomb, and gold earrings from the Bomun-dong Joint Burial-will be exhibited, showcasing the essence of ancient Silla artistry crafted through delicate goldsmithing and processing techniques to the APEC leaders. The Presidential Office stated, “This official dinner, held in Gyeongju, the ancient capital of a millennium-old Silla, is expected to serve as a meaningful occasion for unity, connecting Korean culture and technology with the spirit of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.”