Iconic Gyeongju pastry praised by Xi during APEC visit

In their first encounter Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping shared a lighthearted remark with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, saying he enjoyed Hwangnamppang — a golden, round pastry filled with sweet red bean paste.

Lee was hosting Xi for the opening of the APEC summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Xi is currently on a three-day state visit to South Korea, his first in 11 years.

The unexpected topic of the leaders’ conversation was the pastry, an iconic treat from a bakery in Gyeongju’s Hwangnam-dong neighborhood, which has been making the traditional red bean pastry since 1939.

After screening by the Foreign Ministry, Hwangnamppang was selected as the official treat of the APEC summit, being served to participants at key events and official sessions throughout the summit.

According to presidential office spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, Lee and Xi exchanged brief greetings with each other as the Chinese president entered the APEC venue at 10:02 a.m., before walking side by side into the venue together.

Kang said Xi remarked that Gyeongju was “very impressive” given its long history. She added that Xi also told Lee the Hwangnamppang was delicious, prompting Lee to laugh and thank him.

According to the presidential spokesperson, Lee had personally sent a warm, freshly baked package of Hwangnamppang wrapped in traditional Korean cloth to Xi on Thursday with a message: “I hope you enjoy the taste of Gyeongju.”

On Friday morning, Kang stated that 200 additional boxes of the pastry were being given to the Chinese delegation as a gift.

Following Xi’s comments, Lee instructed Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to extend the same Hwangnamppang gift to other APEC delegations, according to Kang.

Meanwhile, Lee and Xi were expected to meet for talks on Saturday afternoon, following the official handover ceremony of the APEC chair.

The two heads of state are expected to address North Korean nuclear issues, as well as topics related to bilateral economic cooperation — including efforts to roll back China’s ban on Korean cultural products imposed since Seoul's decision to deploy the US missile defense system THAAD in 2016.