By Park Hye Ri
Photos = Office of the President

President Yoon Suk Yeol for Seollal (Lunar New Year) this year will send a gift set to people from all walks of life including elders who helped the country's national and social development, veterans and the families of those who gave their lives to the country, and the socially disadvantaged.

The Office of the President on Jan. 31 said this year's set comprises baegilju (traditional liquor for ancestral rituals) from Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do Province; yuja (citron) tea concentrate from Goheung-gun County, Jeollanam-do Province; jat (pine nuts) from Gapyeong-gun County, Gyeonggi-do Province; and beef jerky from Hoengseong-gun County, Gangwon-do Province.

For non-meat eating Buddhists, acacia honey from Nonsan, Chungcheongnam-do, and thinly sliced black forest mushrooms from Yangyang-gun County, Gangwon-do, will be sent instead of the baegilju and beef jerky.

This is the first gift set sent in President Yoon's name to contain traditional liquor. The office said the reason behind this was to stimulate consumption of such drinks and regional specialties.

The set also includes works of art by patients with Hansen's disease at Sorokdo National Hospital in Goheung-gun. The office said, "The message is our desire to overcome our society's prejudice against Hansen's patients and support them."

The included card from the presidential couple features handwriting based on that of President Yoon.

"This new year is gapjinnyeon, Year of the Blue Dragon. We will care for every single citizen with more warmth," the president said in the card. "We will lay the foundation for a bigger future. Happy New Year."

hrhr@korea.kr