From dumplings made of 'ogol' chicken to wine from Trump winery, special dinner blends Korean tradition and Western flair

This image shows the menu served at the Special Presidential Dinner for Heads of State and Government in honor of President Trump, attended by leaders visiting Korea for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week. From left: a lobster dish, dumplings made with "ogol" chicken, flatfish from Guryongpo, sirloin steak from Gyeongju and a yuja dessert from Goheung. (Presidential Office)
This image shows the menu served at the Special Presidential Dinner for Heads of State and Government in honor of President Trump, attended by leaders visiting Korea for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week. From left: a lobster dish, dumplings made with "ogol" chicken, flatfish from Guryongpo, sirloin steak from Gyeongju and a yuja dessert from Goheung. (Presidential Office)

Set in the majestic surroundings of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday evening hosted a special presidential dinner for heads of state and government attending APEC Economic Leaders Week, in honor of US President Donald Trump.

Hosted by Lee from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel Gyeongju, the dinner was attended by leaders from eight countries, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong.

The special dinner was served as a multi-course meal featuring fine Korean ingredients, according to the presidential office. The menu included dumplings made with truffles and "ogol" chicken from Yeongwol in Gangwon Province. Dubbed the Korean black chicken, ogol chicken is a native breed of chicken in Korea known for its completely black features, including feathers, skin, meat and bones.

Other highlights included sirloin from Gyeongju, known for tender "Hanwoo" beef with rich marbling; pine mushrooms, also from the region; and flatfish from Guryongpo paired with caviar farmed in the pristine waters of Mount Jirisan.

For drinks, the world leaders were served Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay from the winery run by Eric Trump, President Trump's son.


junheee@heraldcorp.com