Beijing: First lady Kim Hea Kyung cooked rice cake soup with dumplings, a New Year dish blending Korean and Chinese traditions, Monday to serve Chinese women who have contributed to promoting exchanges between the two countries, Cheong Wa Dae said. Kim hosted the guests at the South Korean ambassador's residence in Beijing while accompanying President Lee Jae Myung on his state visit to China.

According to Yonhap News Agency, she served rice cake soup with dumplings, "tteokmandu-guk" in Korean, to Chinese women from the fields of education, culture, art, sports, welfare, and business, whom she described as playing a "bridging role" between the neighboring countries. The first lady said she chose the menu to symbolize unity, noting that Koreans traditionally eat rice cake soup at the start of the New Year, while Chinese people make dumplings during holidays such as the Lunar New Year.

"I prepared the dish to blend the New Year traditions of both countries," Kim said, expressing hope that sharing food would further promote friendly exchanges between South Korea and China.