King Charles Visits Korean Community in U.K.

Britain's King Charles on Wednesday visited New Malden, a Korean enclave in southwest London, in a first for a member of the British royal family.

The king made the visit ahead of President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit to the U.K. from Nov. 20-23 to mark the 140th anniversary of bilateral ties.

Yoon is the first foreign leader to make a state visit to the U.K. since the king's coronation in May. 

The king arrived in New Malden at 2 p.m. and was greeted by hundreds of residents. After chatting with them he visited New Malden Methodist Church, where he was met by Korean children wearing hanbok and waving the flags of the two countries.

He then toured an exhibition at a local museum marking the anniversary of bilateral relations and was presented with a gift of kimchi made in Korea. The king, who is known to like his food bland, joked, "Will it blow my head off?" 

Since Charles celebrates his 75th birthday on Nov. 14, Koreans in New Malden had prepared a traditional birthday table of seaweed soup and gujeolpan, a platter of nine delicacies.

He also stopped by a Korean café where he chatted with young people about K-pop and was given an Earl Grey tea cake that marries the two countries' cultures.