As part of its dedicated week of programming, ‘Eye on South Korea', CNN is invited into the Presidential Compound by Korea's First Lady Kim Yoon-ok as she demonstrates cooking one of her favorite dishes in the Blue House's ‘Ever Spring' building. In the first interview of its kind airing Monday October 19 to more than 250 million households around the world, First Lady Kim also lets CNN's Kristie Lu Stout taste a range of Korean national cuisine as she discusses her role and desire to see Korean food gain more international prominence.
The culinary exclusive comes as part of CNN's special week looking at how the country is fighting through a global recession as it attempts to become a global brand leader. CNN reveals the strategies Korea Inc. is using to survive in a world gripped by economic slowdown and why Korean superstars such as actor/singer Rain and Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung are helping to raise the country's profile around the world. Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun also discusses how her group is trying to weather the global economic slowdown and particularly the challenges of doing business in North Korea.
Every weekday morning Kristie Lu Stout reports live from different locations including Songdo City, Daejeon and Seoul, while contributions also come from other CNN correspondents. CNN's in-depth interview program ‘Talk Asia' hears from arguably two of the most internationally-renowned South Koreans, the hugely popular actor/singer Rain and Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung. Shot in Seoul and Manchester respectively, the half hour programs reveal what drives them and hears their views on South Korea's global standing. CNN's ‘Eco Solutions' also investigates how the country is driven to become a worldwide leader in green growth by introducing eco-friendly electronics.
Special reports include a visit to Songdo, a futuristic, master-planned, 1,500 acre city currently being built. The price tag? A cool 30 billion dollars. Stan Grant in Dubai looks at the Burj Tower, the world's tallest, and investigates how Samsung Construction has cornered a market in building global superstructures. Kristie hits the pavements of Seoul for an on-the-fly market survey of the latest hi-tech brands in a country which sets its own standards in cool consumer electronic gadgets. She also looks at new electronic terminals that allow you to check air quality, print government documents and even track your child.
From the world of automobiles, Kyung Lah sees the ‘Spirra' in action, the country's challenger to Lamborghini and Ferrari in the supercar stakes, while Kristie explains why Seoul is dotted with pink women-only parking spots. The world of cuisine also provides food for thought as CNN goes on the ultimate street food safari and Kyung Lah looks at the comeback in popularity of a traditional liquor called ‘Makgeolli'.
With live filming from around the country, A-list interviews and in-depth reports, CNN's 'Eye on South Korea' brings global viewers unique insights into the country and its people.
