Korea welcomes the G20 participants with rich culture. The world leaders are being introduced to Korean food, traditional dance, traditional costumes, and high-technology exhibitions at the G20 and dinner meetings.
C&C20 held an opening ceremony in Seoul Square a day before the G20 meeting to introduce Korean traditional music and traditional dress, Hanbok.
Mr. Obama enters the G-20 Dinner on November 11 with the escorts in traditional Korean dress, Hanbok.
British Prime Minister David Cameron made a short visit to Bongeun Temple. He had a tea time with Venerable Jinhwa, head of South Korea's millennium-old Bongeun Temple, on Nov. 12.
The First Lady Kim Yoon-Ok, the wife of President Lee Myung-Bak, hosted the spouses accompanying the G20 leaders and heads of IOs at a banquet in the Leeum Museum, located in Yongsan, on November 11 from 19:20-21:10. The spouses dined at the Leeum while the heads of state attended the working banquet at the National Museum. Following the banquet, Kim Yoon-ok presented a book of Korean recipes she compiled as chairperson of the Organization for the globalization of Korean Food to each of the spouses.
World famous pianist Baek Gun-Woo welcomed the spouses with a beautiful piano melody that matched the mood of late autumn. During the banquet, the spouses listened to well-known compositions from participating nations. Western dishes were prepared for the banquet, bearing in mind the significance of the day and the harmony of the venue. The spouses were offered a choice of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes, including Korean beef tenderloin, pan-seared red mullet, and organic Tofu. The First Lady personally selected the banquet menu after consulting with culinary experts and attending tastings.
13 spouses attended the banquet, including Kim Yoon-ok, the first ladies of Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, India, Canada, the EU, Malawi, Ethiopia, Singapore, and Vietnam, as well as the spouses of the UN and OECD heads.
