Brazil's First Lady Meets Chef Paik Jong-won and Receives Gift from BTS Jin

Rosângela Lula da Silva, the First Lady of Brazil, who visited South Korea alongside President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, held a private dinner with famous Korean chef and CEO of Theborn Korea, Paik Jong-won. - The Venue: The dinner took place on February 21st at 'Gunmong', a restaurant in Hannam-dong, Seoul, operated by Chef David Lee (known as "Meat Gangster" from the Netflix series Culinary Class Wars). - A Special Gift: During the dinner, Paik Jong-won presented the First Lady with a bottle of 'Aigine', a traditional Korean liquor promoted by BTS member Jin. The gift was especially meaningful as it featured Jin’s handwritten autograph. Paik conveyed that Jin regretted not being able to attend and personally signed the gift to show his appreciation for the First Lady's support. - Cultural Diplomacy: The meeting was organized at the request of the First Lady, who has a deep interest in Hallyu (the Korean Wave) and Korean cuisine. She emphasized the importance of "private-sector led cultural diplomacy" and officially invited Paik Jong-won to Brazil this coming October. - Official Recognition: Following this private meeting, Paik Jong-won was also invited by the Brazilian side to attend the official state dinner hosted by the South Korean President at the Blue House guest house. The First Lady later shared a video of the meeting on her Instagram, thanking both Paik and Jin, and expressing her excitement to welcome the chef to Brazil.