President Lee's Customized Gift Diplomacy: "Bangasayusang" for Prime Minister Modi, "Haitai Folk Painting" for General Secretary Trong

Gifts Reflecting History and Personal Tastes Delivered...
Promoting K-Beauty and Cultural Industries
"Incorporating Leaders' Preferences and Political Philosophies"

President Lee Jaemyung practiced 'tailored gift diplomacy' during his state visits to India and Vietnam, taking into account each country's leaders and their spouses' cultural backgrounds, personal tastes, and policy directions. Beyond simple protocol gifts, these selections conveyed civilizational connections, political messages, and promoted industries such as K-beauty and Korean culture.

On April 24 (local time), the Blue House revealed the details of the gifts President Lee presented to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian President Droupadi Murmu, and Vietnamese General Secretary and President To Lam and his spouse.

Banyasayusang (Source: Blue House)

Tiger Ink Wash Painting (Source: Blue House)

President Lee presented Prime Minister Modi with a bronze Banggayusang statue and a Tiger Ink Wash Painting. The Banggayusang symbolizes the cultural ties between the two countries, as it represents the development of Buddhist philosophy that originated in India and flourished in Silla. The Blue House also noted that Prime Minister Modi is known for his contemplative nature and philosophical inclination, which were considered in the gift selection.

The Tiger Ink Wash Painting embodies symbolism shared by Korea and India. In Korea, the tiger represents authority, protection, and good fortune, while in Hindu tradition, it signifies divinity and guardianship. India's ongoing tiger conservation policy, the 'Project Tiger' initiative since 1973, was also taken into account.

President Murmu received a traditional Korean meditation set and oriental herbal skincare products. The meditation set included a large cushion inspired by traditional patchwork and modern interpretations of dancheong patterns on hanji paper, reflecting her known preference for meditation. The herbal skincare products were chosen to showcase the excellence of K-beauty, considering India's emerging beauty market with high growth potential.

Haitai and Pine Tree Minhwa (Source: Blue House)

National Museum of Korea Goods Set (Source: Blue House)

In Vietnam, President Lee presented General Secretary To Lam with a Minhwa painting depicting Haitai and pine trees, as well as a specially made music frame. Haitai is a symbolic creature believed to distinguish right from wrong and ward off injustice, while the pine tree represents resilience and unwavering integrity. These gifts reflect General Secretary To Lam's emphasis on anti-corruption and integrity in governance.

The music frame is a frame-shaped speaker featuring a caricature of General Secretary To Lam and his spouse, specially crafted in consideration of his preference for classical music.

Madam Ngo Phuong Ly received a National Museum of Korea goods set, a Korean beauty device, and a Nabitangcho mother-of-pearl box. These gifts reflected her visit to the National Museum of Korea during her state visit to Korea in August last year, where she expressed great interest in the official museum goods. The Korean beauty device was chosen in light of the high interest in K-beauty within Vietnam.

The Nabitangcho mother-of-pearl box is engraved with butterflies symbolizing marital harmony and arabesque patterns representing prosperity, expressing wishes for the health and happiness of General Secretary To Lam and his spouse.

This round of gifts stood out for their meticulous reflection of the recipient countries' historical and cultural symbols as well as the personal tastes of their leaders. The Blue House explained that special care was taken in the gift selection process to express friendship and trust between the leaders. In a briefing, Senior Secretary for Public Relations and Communications Lee Guyoun stated, "Through thoughtful gifts for the leaders during this visit, we have expressed friendship and trust," adding, "We prepared each gift with meaningful consideration of each leader's disposition and national policy direction."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.