UNESCO-listed village previously hosted Queen Elizabeth II, former US presidents
The southeastern city of Andong, the hometown of President Lee Jae Myung, is once again drawing attention as a stage for Korean diplomacy ahead of Tuesday's summit with Japan.
Lee will meet Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, for talks and an official dinner. The meeting will be the sixth summit between the two leaders since the Lee administration took office and comes just four months after they met in Nara prefecture, Takaichi's hometown, in January.
The two leaders are expected to visit Hahoe Folk Village, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Korea's best-preserved historic clan villages.
Traditional tile-roofed manor houses, thatched cottages, Confucian academies and pavilions remain largely intact, offering a glimpse into the aristocratic culture of the Joseon era (1392-1910).
It would not be the first time the historic village has welcomed distinguished guests. In 1999, Queen Elizabeth II visited during a state trip to South Korea. Former US President George H. W. Bush visited in 2005, followed by sitting US President George W. Bush in 2009.
Sheltered by forested mountains and facing a river and open agricultural fields — from which the village derives its name, meaning "river circling around" — Hahoe Folk Village is regarded by UNESCO as an "exceptional reflection of the social and cultural systems of the Joseon Dynasty, of the particularly distinctive system of clan villages that is specific to this area, and of the way these evolved over five centuries."
For the state dinner, guests will be served a contemporary interpretation of dishes drawn from "Suunjapbang (A Selection of Culinary Recipes)," Korea's oldest surviving cookbook. Written in the early 16th century by the Andong scholar Kim Yu, the text has been preserved for more than 500 years by his descendants.
The menu is expected to feature fusion Korean cuisine inspired by recipes once prepared in aristocratic households in the Andong region, including a modern take on Andong jjimdak, the soy-braised chicken dish that has become one of the city's culinary signatures.
After dinner, the leaders are scheduled to attend a special performance of Seonyu Julbul Nori, a traditional nighttime fire festival unique to Hahoe Folk Village.
The spectacle combines "seonyu," or boating on the river, with "julbul" — a form of traditional fire play similar to "nakhwa," the "falling-fire" fireworks seen in other parts of Korea. In julbul, glowing charcoal embers glide down ropes stretching from the cliffside of Buyongdae to the riverside below, sending sparks cascading through the night sky and shimmering across the water.
Authorities said traffic restrictions around the riverside embankment would begin Tuesday afternoon. Access to the main event area will be limited to accredited guests, though visitors will still be able to watch the fireworks from nearby.
Officials added that the Hahoe Folk Village would remain open to tourists throughout the day, with restrictions confined largely to the immediate area surrounding the evening festivities.
hwangdh@heraldcorp.com
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