South Korea’s Moons revel in a harbourside sunset

Scott Morrison is urging keen bushwalker Moon Jae-in to return to Australia to tackle Tasmania’s famous trails.

Selfie indulgence: Scott Morrison and wife Jenny capture the moment with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife, Kim Jung-sook. Picture: Adam Taylor

On the evening before Australia reopened to his citizens, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife, Kim Jung-sook, were treated to one of the nation’s best views and were being encouraged to make a return trip.

The pair enjoyed the sunset at Admiralty House on Tuesday night, with its panoramic outlook over Sydney Harbour, before dining with Scott Morrison and wife Jenny at Kirribilli House.

The menu was modern Australian – an entree of kingfish carpaccio, followed by pink snapper and spanner crab tortelli, then a fruit sherbet dessert washed down with Bream Creek sauvignon blanc and Curly Flat pinot noir.

The Prime Minister gave Mr Moon a $240 bottle of Tasmanian Lark Whisky, a reminder of their G7 meeting at Britain’s Carbis Bay when Mr Morrison urged the keen bushwalker to tackle the state’s trails after his term ends next year. It’s understood Mr Moon, who has trekked in the Himalayas at least twice, was keen to know more about Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain, Bay of Fires and Three Capes walks.

The President will also take home a small Blackwood cufflink box, crafted by a woodworker near Canberra, while Ms Kim received a pair of pearl earrings on behalf of the Australian people.

Mr Moon and Ms Kim will fly back to Seoul on Wednesday, as Australia drops its quarantine requirements for vaccinated travellers from South Korea, Japan, Singapore and New Zealand.

The federal government is hoping to lure back most of the 21,000 Korean students studying in Australia before the pandemic, and kickstart visits by family and friends of 123,000 Australians with Korean ancestry.

The state visit, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Australia-Korea relations, saw the signing of bilateral agreements and a firm commitment by Australia to support South Korea’s bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade bloc.