President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung salute the national flag at a luncheon with Korean diaspora members at a hotel in San Francisco on Saturday (local time). [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung salute the national flag at a luncheon with Korean diaspora members at a hotel in San Francisco on Saturday (local time). [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung made a surprise visit to Pier 39, one of San Francisco's most popular tourist destinations, on Saturday (local time) during their state visit to the United States, mingling with locals and tourists, Cheong Wa Dae said.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong said in a written briefing that the presidential couple visited Pier 39 and spent time greeting local residents and tourists from around the world. She described the landmark as a mixed cultural and commercial space combining a sea lion habitat, restaurants, shops and street performances, adding that it is widely regarded as a model of urban regeneration — a former industrial wharf transformed into a thriving attraction.

"The venue was lively with residents out for the weekend and a steady stream of tourists," Ahn said. The couple toured the area with Im Jeong-taek, South Korea's consul general in San Francisco, who briefed them on Pier 39's urban regeneration history and the local marine ecosystem. They browsed shops and street scenes along the waterfront and watched sea lions resting on rocks and floating docks. The pier draws about 15 million visitors a year.

As the presidential couple appeared, cheers of "Welcome" and "Nice to meet you" rang out across the area, Ahn said.

Bystanders and tourists called out "Mr. President" and "South Korea's President," and some greeted the couple in Korean with "annyeonghaseyo," "hello," she added.

Lee and Kim waved, shook hands and exchanged high-fives with those gathered, and readily agreed to pose for photos. The couple also chatted casually with visitors, asking where they were from and what had brought them to San Francisco.

When one foreign tourist mentioned that his daughter hoped to study in South Korea, the couple expressed delight and posed for a photo together.

They also warmly responded to tourists who approached them saying they had come from South Korea, Ahn said.

The couple later moved to Scoma's Restaurant, a long-established San Francisco eatery, where they wrapped up the day's schedule over a dinner of clam chowder, pasta and other local dishes.

Ahn said the visit was arranged to allow the president and first lady to connect naturally with local residents in their everyday surroundings, away from formal official venues, and to engage directly with tourists from around the world. "The warm welcome from residents and tourists, and the couple's response, served as an opportunity to deepen goodwill between the peoples of the two countries," she said.


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