(Gyeongju = Yonhap News) Reporters Lim Hyeong-seop, Lee Sang-hyeon, and Hwang Yun-gi = The first summit between President Lee Jae-myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping was held at the Gyeongju National Museum on the afternoon of the 1st.

In particular, from the official welcoming ceremony held prior to the meeting, a traditional troupe of musicians appeared, fully showing off the charm of Gyeongju, the 'thousand-year-old capital of Silla.'

At around 3:35 p.m., the Hongqi N701, the official vehicle of the President Xi Jinping, carrying the Chinese national flag, appeared at the entrance of the museum, escorted by a drum troop. President Lee, who had arrived at the museum first and was waiting, smiled and approached the President Xi Jinping as he got out of the vehicle and shook his hand.

After a brief conversation with bright expressions, the two leaders walked along the red carpet and entered the museum.

Both leaders drew attention by wearing blue suits and ties.

The president wore a dark blue suit and a navy blue tie with a gold butterfly, while Xi wore a lighter-toned navy suit and blue tie. The butterfly on the president's tie is also the emblem of this year's APEC summit.

The city mayor filled out the guest book under the guidance of President Lee, and the two leaders then inspected the honor guard.

The president saluted as our military band played, and then placed his hand on his heart as the national anthem began to play. Behind the two leaders stood a large Taegeukgi (Korean national flag) and the O-Sung Honggi (Korean flag with five stars).

After the inspection, Chairman Xi Jinping greeted our cabinet members under the guidance of President Lee, and then President Lee shook hands with the Chinese delegation.

From our side, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Koo Yoon-chul, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-joong, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-kwan, Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, and Ambassador to China Noh Jae-heon were present.

From the Chinese side, Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Secretariat, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Director of the National Development and Reform Commission Zheng Shanjie, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu, and Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing attended.

The two leaders then held a 97-minute meeting at the conference room, starting at 3:48 p.m.

A presidential official said the atmosphere at the meeting was warm throughout.

In his opening remarks, the President said,"I have truly been looking forward to meeting you in person," and President Xi responded,"I am very pleased to be making a state visit to Korea again after 11 years."

The president stated,"The mutually beneficial cooperative relationship between our two countries must also develop further," and President Xi unanimously agreed on the importance of cooperation between South Korea and China, saying,"The two countries are inseparable cooperative partners."

Meanwhile, that evening, Chairman Xi attended a state dinner hosted by President Lee.

Among the dumpling dishes that have been enjoyed in both countries since ancient times, kimchi dumplings and shrimp dim sum were served, while chicken gangjeong, a popular Korean dish in China, and mala sauce abalone dishes, reflecting the 'mala craze' in Korea, were also served.

The Presidential Office explained that the message was intended to emphasize that the two countries have long had an"exchange of tastes" through food, a commonality between the two countries, and that it expressed hopes for the friendship between Korea and China to continue.

Boyang Younggye porridge, grilled tteokgalbi made with Gyeongju Cheonnyeonhanwoo, and grilled pine mushrooms were also served on the table.

Dessert included three-colored maejakwa (a type of sweet bean paste) and three-colored fruits to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and China, along with the Chinese dessert jimagu (a type of dumpling) and Boseong green tea. A Chinese liquor,"Mongjiram," known to be a favorite of President Xi, was also served.