President Lee Presents Smartwatch and Marriage-Themed Artwork to Polish Prime Minister

[Financial News] President Lee Jae Myung will hold a summit with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on the 13th at Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office and residence of South Korea. This visit is the first bilateral trip to South Korea by a Polish prime minister in 27 years, and it is also Tusk’s first bilateral visit to a non-European country since taking office.
Defense industry cooperation and broader economic ties are expected to be on the agenda at the summit. In December last year, Poland signed a third export contract worth 5.6 trillion won with Hanwha Aerospace for the Korean Cheonmu multiple launch rocket system. Given that Poland is a key member of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the two leaders are also expected to discuss the situation in the Middle East and other international issues.
The two leaders will hold a summit meeting, deliver a joint press statement, and attend an official luncheon. The luncheon menu will feature fusion Korean cuisine that harmoniously combines similar dishes from Korea and Poland to symbolize unity between the two countries.
According to Cheong Wa Dae, the menu was designed around the similarities between Polish food and Korean cuisine. It includes meat rolls served with Mizeria (Polish cucumber salad), pierogi (Polish dumplings) accompanied by doenjang sour cream, Korean beef sirloin paired with bigos, often described as a Polish-style kimchi stew, and a dessert of szarlotka, a Polish apple pie, with misugaru ice cream. By combining Korean and Polish dishes, the luncheon is intended to showcase harmony through the food cultures of both nations.
Business leaders involved in defense and other economic cooperation projects with Poland have also been invited, so the event can serve as an opportunity to further strengthen economic ties.
President Lee has prepared gifts that both highlight Korean culture and reflect Prime Minister Tusk’s personal tastes. For the sports-loving prime minister, whose hobbies include soccer and running, he selected a smartwatch. He also prepared a framed artwork titled "Cranes for a Long and Happy Marriage" to wish the couple a long life together, a Bangjja yugi cutlery set made of traditional Korean bronzeware, and a hanbok pet cape in consideration of Tusk’s love of dogs.
At Tusk’s accommodation, a set of Songpyeon, traditional Korean half-moon rice cakes shaped like flower petals, has been arranged in a white porcelain lidded box to convey the taste and elegance of Korean tradition. A fruit basket has also been prepared, featuring mainly Korean fruits such as cheonhyehyang citrus, Korean melon, apples, and pears.
cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Reporter