First lady diplomacy: 'soft power' at its finest

Kim Yoon-ok: The most down-to-earth first lady

First lady of South Korea Kim Yoon-ok feeds kimchi to first lady of Japan Yukie Hatoyama in Seoul, South Korea on October 9, 2009. [Photo/Icpress]

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Kim Yoon-ok, wife of former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak, showed a very down-to-earth and loving image when she invited Miyuki Hatoyama, wife of former Japanese Premier Yukio Hatoyama to join her for a session of "kimchi diplomacy."

In 2009, Hatoyama accompanied her husband on a trip to South Korea. At the invitation of Kim, the duo visited a traditional food research center and made kimchi, a type of pickled nappa cabbage eaten on a daily basis in South Korea. The then-First-Lady picked up the kimchi with her hands and fed Hatoyama. The Japanese first lady also used her hands to work with chili peppers and garlic. Even though she was offered gloves, as the spiciness of the garlic and chili could have irritated her hands, she insisted on using her bare hands so she could experience what it felt like to make kimchi with her bare hands.

This very "hands-on" experience brought the two ladies (and their countries) closer. Hatoyama using her hands to cook was also a symbol that she wanted to be "closer" to South Korea – a gesture that was well-received by the public.