Samar Yahya

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Korean Consul General Nak-young Oh hosted an iftar party at his residence here on Tuesday.



Welcoming the guests, Nak-young Oh said sharing food was the best way to enhance understanding among different cultures and people.



"With respect to Islam, this event has a considerable meaning in that it was organized by the Korean Consulate General, which has jurisdiction over only a small non-Muslim community,” he said. “I hope it should be viewed as a unique opportunity to think over the real meaning and lessons of Ramadan, not as a simple and routine iftar party.”



Nak-young Oh said he had witnessed an increasing interest in Korean cuisine by the locals. "In response to this trend, a couple of Korean restaurants and a mini-mart were opened to serve Jeddah residents,” he said.



Many Saudi men and women, including Korean language students, and foreign diplomats based in Jeddah attended the iftar.



The event was a chance to enrich the cultural diversity of Jeddah and promote health with a balanced dietary choice.



The Korean cuisine has been considered healthy and tasty. Traditional Korean meals are noted for the number of side dishes that accompany the basic setting of soup and rice.



Among others Kimichi (fermented spicy vegetable) is served at almost every meal. Ingredients commonly used are red hot peppers, sesame oil, fermented bean paste, soy sauce, garlic and ginger.



The event was sponsored by two Korean residents in Jeddah — Kim Duk-Won, master of Tae-kwondo Marshal Art, and Seo Ho-Kyung, CEO of KDC, which is specialized in digital security and monitoring system. The food was presented by SURA Korean restaurant, managed by Dennis Kang.



The consul general's wife personally prepared Korean snacks for the guests.