Traditional culture, hallyu stars entertain leaders‘ spouses

Young classical music artists, pop group JYJ to perform for 17 spouses attending Nuclear Security Summit



Cheong Wa Dae’s guest house Yeongbingwan turned into a concert hall on Sunday with artists busy rehearsing for a performance portraying a Joseon queen’s wedding day. Kim Joo-won, prima ballerina of the National Ballet of Korea, took the role of the queen, expressing mixed feelings of anxiety and joy through dance and a solo cello performance. Kim wore 16 layers of blue, red and navy hanbok with the assistance of her four ladies-in-waiting, reflecting the traditional Korean way of serving elders and superiors.

Titled “Queen’s Morning,” the 17-minute performance is one of a number of events hosted by First Lady Kim Yoon-ok for spouses of global leaders attending the Nuclear Security Summit today and tomorrow.

Other events will feature classical music artists and Korean Wave stars.

“The spouses’ program is designed to offer the first ladies a chance to appreciate Korean traditional culture and classical and pop music in just two days,” an official on the organizing committee said. First Lady Kim has asked officials to introduce young artists as well as K-pop stars leading hallyu around the world, the official added.

Seventeen spouses are accompanying the state leaders and heads of international organizations attending the global conference in Seoul, according to the committee.

The list of first ladies in Seoul includes Liu Yongqing, wife of Chinese President Hu Jintao, Antonioli Monti, wife of Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, Patience Jonathan, wife of Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Nompumelelo Zuma, wife of South African President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, Tran Thanh Kiem, wife of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Ho Ching, wife of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Yoo Soon-taek, wife of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and Gursharan Kaur, wife of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, are also in Seoul.

The spouses’ program will begin at the National Museum of Korea in central Seoul on Monday.

The first lady has invited the spouses of foreign leaders to the country’s largest museum to view some of the most cherished Korean treasures and an exhibition of children’s drawings on world peace, chosen through the International Children’s Peace Festival.

“Children have well expressed their thoughts and hopes on world peace and we plan to put them on display for the spouses and distinguished guests visiting Korea for the Nuclear Security Summit,” an official said.

Later in the day at the same venue, the spouses will enjoy a classical music concert performed by two young musical prodigies.

Pianist Cho Seong-jin, 18, the third-prize winner of the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition, will collaborate with violist Kim Soo-yeon, winner of the 2006 Hannover International Violin Competition. The two will perform Saint-Saens’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28 together after playing solo pieces. Cho is to play Chopin’s Nocturne No. 20 in C-sharp Minor while Kim will perform Bach’s Sonata No.3.

The National Museum of Korea will also be the venue for a banquet in honor of the spouses. The menu for the welcome dinner includes agnolotti with crab bisque and tile fish from Jeju Island.

On Tuesday, the spouses are invited to Cheong Wa Dae for more performances and a luncheon. First Lady Kim, a strong advocate of the globalization of hansik, or Korean cuisine, will host a luncheon at Sangchunjae, meaning a house used in spring. Sangchujae, built in 1983 to serve VIP guests, is the only traditional-style building at the Blue House complex. At the luncheon, the spouses will sample Korean traditional cuisine including kimchijeon, or kimchi pancake, japchae, or noodles stir fried in sesame oil with a variety of vegetables, and royal dishes.

After the luncheon, the group will attend “Queen’s Morning” at Yeongbingwan, the state guest house. Not only the queen but the four ladies-in-waiting are the highlight of the performance, Song Seung-eun, director of the performance told The Korea Herald.

“We tried to highlight how the four ladies-in-waiting dress the queen, serve their queen with the most sacred mind and attitude,” she said.

“I felt that becoming a queen is a difficult job. But I was so touched by the ladies taking great care for their queen,” ballerina Kim said.

The performance will also be a reminder for the first ladies’ own wedding days or the days when their husbands were inaugurated as state leaders, Song said. The performance was premiered at a cultural event in Australia last year when the two countries celebrated 50 years of diplomatic ties. The costume is a replica of the wedding costume worn by Empress Sunjeong, wife of Emperor Yunghui, the last emperor of Joseon, she added.

Following the performance, Korean Wave stars will hit the stage. Three-member boy group JYJ and ballad singer Seong Si-kyung will sing two songs each. JYJ, who also serve as PR ambassadors for the Nuclear Security Summit, will sing their hits including “Be My Girl,” while Seong, nicknamed the ballad prince, will sing his latest single “First Time.”

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)