Vegan US Deputy Secretary of State Arrives in Korea... Visits Favorite 'Dakhanmari' Restaurant Again (Summary)

Arrival at Osan Air Base on the afternoon of the 8th

Steven Biegun, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Kwan-joo] Steven Biegun, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea under the Donald Trump administration, arrived in South Korea on the afternoon of the 8th.

Deputy Secretary Biegun arrived at Osan Air Base by private plane around 4:15 PM that day. This visit marks his first trip to South Korea in five months since July, accompanied by Alex Wong, the U.S. Department of State’s Deputy Special Representative for North Korea, and Allison Hooker, a National Security Council (NSC) advisor at the White House.

Deputy Secretary Biegun will begin his four-day visit on the 9th with a meeting with Choi Jong-geun, the First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, continuing through the 11th.

This visit is effectively his last official trip to South Korea while in office. He will hold talks and meetings with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ dialogue partners, Minister of Unification Lee In-young, the National Intelligence Service, and diplomatic and security officials from the Blue House. On the 10th, he is expected to share his reflections during a public lecture at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

Notably, he plans to visit his favorite "Dakhanmari" (whole chicken soup) restaurant, which he rents out entirely each time he visits Korea. Deputy Secretary Biegun has consistently visited this restaurant during his trips in May, August, and December of last year. On the 10th, First Vice Minister Choi Jong-geun will host the dinner, and the entire space has been reserved to comply with quarantine guidelines. The dinner will be attended by 10 people, five from each side, U.S. and South Korea.

For his final schedule, on the evening of the 11th, he will attend a dinner hosted by Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha. A Foreign Ministry official explained, "Minister Kang plans to hold an encouragement dinner inviting Deputy Secretary Biegun and the U.S. delegation," adding, "This is to acknowledge the efforts made by Deputy Secretary Biegun and the U.S. side in advancing the ROK-U.S. relationship and the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, while also requesting continued interest and support from the U.S. side going forward."

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