SHINee's Minho: the Sweetheart of Korean and U.S. Politics - 중앙일보

First Lady Melania Trump's smile sparked an interest in SHINee, of which Minho(Choi Min-ho) is a member.

First Lady Trump made an appearance alongside U.S. President Donald Trump on his official visit to South Korea. SHINee, a globally renowned idol group, has already been invited to quite a few political events.

On the 29th of October, 2010, the former Korean President Lee Myung-bak administration called on SHINee to perform at an official luncheon commemorating the national team for the U-17 Women's World Cup.

Former President Lee had requested that 'the event be fun, not formal.' SHINee sang their hit singles 'Replay' and 'Ring Ding Dong.' The moment SHINee started to sing, guests rushed to the front of the stage to admire the performance.

The State Reception House of the Blue House, in which the luncheon took place, quickly turned into a concert hall. The unexpectedly enthusiastic response caused former President Lee to do away with his closing remarks.

Minho also met the former Korean President Park Geun-hye. Former President Park attended KCON '16 held at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France. Ex-President Park visited 'Masitta,' a Korean dessert bar. SHINee's Minho escorted ex-President Park to try a mini 'bungeo-ppang'(a Korean fish-shaped pastry filled with sweetened red bean paste). When Minho stated that "the 'bungeo-ppang' seemed to be very popular among the fans," former President Park replied "I guess the world-famous popularity of SHINee rubbed off on the 'bungeo-ppang'" and smiled.

Former President Obama "U.S. teens learning Korean to understand SHINee"  

Former U.S. President Barack Obama also mentioned SHINee.

On the 3rd of July, former U.S. President Obama delivered a keynote speech on leadership based on his experience as a former president at "Conversation with Leader", a segment of the 8th 'Asian Leadership Conference' held at Walkerhill Hotel, Seoul.

In his speech, former President Obama stated "the young generation takes on the role of exporting one's respective pop-culture," and that "some of [the] young people in America are learning to speak Korean so that they can keep up with a band [named] SHINee. In exchange, I understand SHINee has developed a passion for America's In-N-Out burgers."

First Lady Melania Trump arrived at Osan Air Base of Korea on the 7th of November. Right after she kissed President Donald Trump good-bye - who was on his way to Camp Humphreys, the U.S. Army base in Pyeongtaek - she attended the 'Girls Play 2' initiative launch hosted by the U.S. Embassy.

Minho and Cho Ha-ri, a short track speed skating gold medalist in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, were present at the event as well. The media caught First Lady Melania Trump with big smiles, engaging in friendly conversation with Minho.

By Gothesun and Suwon Han voomvoomk@gmail.com