Through another lens: Korean, Japanese leaders switch eyeglasses, bond over fireworks in Andong

President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi deepened their rapport over chicken dishes, eyeglasses and fireworks in the Korean leader's scenic hometown of Andong in North Gyeongsang Tuesday.  

Following their bilateral summit that addressed energy cooperation amid the Middle East crisis, Lee and Takaichi enjoyed an hourlong dinner banquet featuring traditional Korean aristocratic cuisine followed by a pansori performance at Andong Hahoe Folk Village, a Unesco World Heritage site. Pansori is a traditional Korean form of lyrical storytelling performed by a vocalist and a drummer.  

"It is all the more meaningful to welcome Prime Minister Takaichi in my hometown of Andong," Lee said in a dinner toast, according to Blue House spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, noting this marks their fourth meeting in some seven months.

The dinner menu featured jeongyea, a dish with braised young chicken, yams, carrots and scallions, seen as the precursor to Andong jjimdak, a popular soy-braised chicken dish that can be served spicy or sweet.  

The recipe is said to have originated during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and is recorded in the "Suunjapbang," Korea's oldest surviving cookbook from Andong believed to have been written between the 16th and mid-17th century.  

Lee introduced the meal saying that all the dishes had been prepared without red pepper powder for the prime minister and explained that Andong is an inland area which historically had limited access to fresh ingredients due to its distance from the coast.

The banquet was prepared jointly by Kim Do-eun, who oversees Rakkojae Hahoe Hanok Hotel's Suunjabbang dining program, and the Westin Josun Seoul's culinary team.  

Guests were also served grilled Andong hanwoo (Korean beef) short ribs and sinseollo, a traditional hot pot filled with vegetables and seafood. For dessert, Korean jeonyak (jelly) and mochi (Japanese rice cake)  were served on a single plate. The region's traditional liquors including taesaju and Andong soju, were served alongside sake from Japan's Nara Prefecture.  

Lee recalled that Takaichi personally taught him how to play the drums during his visit to her hometown of Nara Prefecture for a summit in January, noting that their communication is having a positive impact on the development of bilateral relations, Kang said. The two leaders first met on the sidelines of the Gyeongju APEC summit in October last year and an unlikely friendship out of necessity developed between the liberal Lee and notably hawkish Takaichi as Seoul and Tokyo coped with volatile geopolitical circumstances.  

Lee said he hoped that Korea and Japan would become "close yet close" partners based on a sense of bond and trust, rather than "close yet distant neighbors," and expressed his expectation that this dinner would serve as an opportunity to further deepen bilateral exchanges and friendly cooperation.

During the dinner, Takaichi inquired about the fuel price cap and the distribution method and scope of the Korean government's cash assistance to help ease the burden on people from hiked fuel prices amid the Middle East conflict, according to Kang.  

Takaichi remarked that she was feeling "conflicted about whether to have a drink" because of her parliamentary schedule Wednesday, Kang said. Lee asked if he should try to arrange for the prime minister to stay one more day, drawing laughter from banquet attendees.  

Takaichi proposed holding the next round of shuttle diplomacy in a provincial Japanese hot spring town.  

"If I say I want to go to a hot spring, will it be put into action immediately?" Lee responded.  

Takaichi also said that she was deeply impressed by the warm welcome from Andong residents upon her arrival.  

After the banquet, the two leaders enjoyed a piano performance by Yang Bang-ean, a Zainichi Korean composer and pianist also known by his Japanese name, Ryo Kunihiko.  

Lee and Takaichi then headed to the Hahoe Folk Village and watched the Seonyu Julbul Nori, a fireworks display over a river typically viewed by the yangban class, or gentry, during the Joseon Dynasty. The traditional fireworks display from the Andong region features charcoal powder clinging to the ropes, causing sparks to fall like rain.

The pansori piece, "Like Scattering Flames," was specially prepared by the Korean side for Takaichi, the Blue House said.  

Takaichi also presented a pair of eyeglass frames from Sabae, the eyeglasses capital of Japan, to Lee. While Lee was trying them on, Takaichi quickly borrowed the Korean president's glasses for a Kodak moment shared on the Japanese Cabinet Secretariat's X account.  

Sabae in Fukui Prefecture is a world-renowned eyewear manufacturing hub that accounts for over 90 percent of Japan's eyeglass frame production and is also the hometown of Takaichi's spouse, Taku Yamamoto, a former member of the House of Representatives.  

Takaichi wraps a two-day trip to Korea on Wednesday.  

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]