No Silence at the White House State Dinner?… Park Chan-ho Officially Attends

by Kim Dongpyo

Published 27 Apr.2023 10:37(KST)

Updated 27 Apr.2023 11:04(KST)

Official Invitation from the Baegakwan (White House)

Park Chan-ho, the first Korean Major League Baseball player known as the "Korean Express," will attend a White House dinner with President Yoon Suk-yeol and the First Lady.

On the 26th (local time), the White House announced, "Park Chan-ho, the first Korean Major League player, will attend the state dinner hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for President Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, accompanied by his wife."

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Previously, President Biden gifted President Yoon a large framed display containing a baseball glove, bat, and ball featuring the Philadelphia Phillies logo, where Park Chan-ho once played. This was prepared in remembrance of President Yoon’s recent ceremonial first pitch at the professional baseball opening game.

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie and her eldest son Maddox will also attend the dinner. The guest list for the state dinner reaches 200 people.

Jolie, who has been active politically, visited the White House in March with her daughter Zahara when President Biden signed the Violence Against Women Act extension. Maddox has a deep connection with Korea, having been admitted in 2019 as an international student to Yonsei University’s Underwood International College, majoring in Life Science and Engineering.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

U.S. First Lady Jill Biden attended an event on the 24th with Korean-American chef Edward Lee to reveal the state dinner menu. The menu includes dishes such as crab with vegetables like cabbage and kohlrabi served with gochujang sauce, braised short ribs with carrots and pine nuts, and desserts featuring fruits like banana and strawberry alongside lemon ice cream.