He likes Korean food!
During a friendly phone conversation with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in November, President-elect Obama, who grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia, apparently confirmed the rumor that his favorite Korean dishes are bulgeogi and bibimbap.
He speaks Korean!
At an Obama campaign rally, one audience member stood up and introduced himself as a high school student originally from South Korea. The then-presidential candidate responded with, “Annyeonghaseyo!” to a wave of applause.
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His economic advisor is Korean!
Audrey Choi, 40, has been tapped to join Obama’s presidential transition team as an economic advisor. The Harvard graduate who once worked as a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal in Germany was formerly chief of staff for the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the Clinton administration. Great Choice, Mr. President.
His dry cleaner is Korean!
Remember how dapper our president-elect looked as he took the stage on election night? It wasn’t a stylist who made him look so good, but his Korean American dry cleaner. Sarah Kang, owner of Golden Touch on the south side of Chicago, told the Joongang Ilbo that it was her cleaners that laundered and pressed Obama’s winning suit and that the Obamas are regular customers. You may have noticed Obama forgot to thank Kang in his speech, but he had a lot on his mind.
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His name is (sort of) Korean!
The Korean media reported that, after Obama’s election win, a meat company offered to give free meat to customers with the last name “Oh,” the first syllable of Obama’s surname as well as a common Korean name. At least our new president’s last name (Oh-ba-ma) phonetically jives with Hangeul sounds so it’ll be easier to pronounce for Koreans. “Bush-ee” not so much.
– Compiled by staff
