Crowns, beauty products, fried chicken: South Korean culture meets diplomacy at Apec summit

GYEONGJU, South Korea – World leaders and business titans

gathered in South Korea this week

to hash out issues from tariffs and AI to disputed history and regional security.

But beyond the staid statecraft, the summit and sideline events featured plenty of nods to the host country’s vibrant pop culture and history.

AFP takes a look:

Trump’s golden crown

US President Donald Trump may be facing “no kings” protests back home, but in South Korea, officials had the perfect gift for the gold-loving magnate – a replica of an ancient royal crown.

At a lavish ceremony in the historic capital of Gyeongju, Mr Trump was

presented with a replica of the “largest and most extravagant” gold crow

n from the Silla dynasty, which ruled from 57 BC to 935 AD.

Catering to the US leader’s fondness for the precious metal, President Lee Jae Myung wore a gold tie and Mr Trump was served a gold-themed dessert.

Meanwhile, across the United States, protesters have decried Mr Trump’s “king-like” presidency. After news of the gift broke, memes mocking a crowned Mr Trump flooded social media.

K-beauty haul

Ms Karoline Leavitt, the often-combative White House press secretary, drew social media attention after posting her K-beauty haul on Instagram while accompanying Mr Trump in Gyeongju.

“South Korea skincare finds,” the 28-year-old captioned an Instagram story – complete with a heart-eyes emoji – showcasing a cleansing oil, face masks, “zero pore” pads, moisturiser and other K-beauty staples.

South Korea, well known for its beauty products and advanced skincare and dermatological treatments, has been working to strengthen its foothold in the global market.

This year’s Apec summit even featured a “K-beauty pavilion”, where foreign visitors and delegates could sample the latest South Korean skincare trends.

Chicken and beer

Mr Jensen Huang, the CEO of US tech giant Nvidia, came to announce plans to supply 260,000 of the firm’s most advanced chips to South Korea. But he also made headlines for indulging in one of the nation’s favourite pairings – fried chicken and beer, known as “chimaek”.

His dinner with Samsung chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group executive chairman Chung Eui-sun in Seoul drew crowds of spectators and reporters and went viral.

Nvidia reportedly chose the restaurant, Kkanbu – meaning “friend” and popularised by the mega-hit series Squid Game – to symbolise cooperation on artificial intelligence and chipmaking.

Fried chicken, a staple of South Korean cuisine, is eaten everywhere, from family gatherings to “mukbang” livestreams, often paired with cold beer during baseball games.

Mr Huang even admitted he had indulged in another, more potent, Korean concoction – “somaek”, in which a shot of the popular spirit soju is dropped into a glass of beer – and that it had left him a little bleary-eyed the next day.

K-pop, rice brew, ‘gat’

The highlight of the Oct 31 Apec grand welcome dinner – attended by leaders, including China’s President Xi Jinping – was a performance by K-pop megastar G-Dragon.

The 37-year-old star appeared on stage wearing a traditional Korean hat known as a “gat”, featured in Netflix’s animated mega-hit KPop Demon Hunters.

The hat, now rarely seen in modern Korea, drew global attention after the animated film featuring the Saja Boys – demons who wear it as part of their disguise as a popular K-pop boyband – became a sensation.

Mr Xi and South Korean President Lee were also spotted drinking “makgeolli”, a traditional Korean rice brew.

Seoul’s presidential office said the drink was flavoured with yuzu, a citrus fruit. AFP