#the caption’s from the well by the crane wives

[koalchicine]

all the words i couldn’t say to you

oh, the damage i’d have wrought

[chiropteracupola]

for the palette asks: brendan and isaiah in ‘flesh’?

And I know that you mean so well / But I am not a vessel for your good intent...

[coreastories]

Modern Royals: 10 Times the King and Queen of Corea made ahjummas ugly-cry over their romance

You know what this author loves about Corea? The delightful mix of tradition and modernity

I mean, in this country, you have visiting and dining etiquette, respectful address etiquette, and countless other delicious customs steeped in tradition. Catholicism with its millennia-old ceremonies is also a favored religion

On the flipside, this country has rock-solid laws on divorce, equal rights, and zero tolerance for  rape and abuse or discrimination of ANY sort

I’m quite in love with this country. Its people are well taken care of

And of course, the biggest deliciousness for me are Their Majesties

Shrouded in privacy and that same tradition I just mentioned, the king married the queen in July

In the course of a few weeks since the wedding, the queen endeared herself to her people, and even made friends with the Prime Minister, a formidable woman who was herself previously linked to the King (entirely one-sided pursuit on her part)

It’s now October, and we’re happily expecting the first royal baby in May!

I’ve seen some colleagues in the media voice that thought we’ve all had: “They didn’t take long.” 

I’ve also seen comparisons with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and Baby Archie, who was born only a few days shy of his parents first anniversary. Corea’s royal baby will be born two whole months before his/her parents’ first anniversary. 

So this little article seems absolutely timely!

It sounds trite, I know, but lists are all the rage these days. Add Corea’s royal romance and this article will pay for my office’s bills for two months.  

This is with sanction from the Royal Public Affairs Office, who I’ll never cross, and who also gave me some background where they could or would.  

1. Who can forget the breathless kisses in New Zealand? 

Well, they made us breathless. Taken from Chateau Maryleone-- a security breach that apparently got people fired. If it was originally a video footage, we don’t know. Only the photos were spread online. 

The world is in love with this smiling kiss. 

The Royal Public Affairs Office’s only comment here is: “We’ve found the parties involved and they have been summarily dealt with.” 

You can see why I would never dream of crossing them. 

2. The snuggle at Pyeongyang Children’s Hospital

The new digital diagnostics wing was inaugurated in July. If this author remembers right, two of the queen’s photos made it to a list of 7 Times the Queen of Corea Stole Our Hearts with Her Smile. 

Children, parents, media, and hospital staff loudly showed their approval of the queen then, and she had laughingly and shyly accepted it. 

Reports have emerged that the queen was quite overwhelmed, and had actually retreated to a room with the king. It was one of the new consultation rooms of the new wing, with glass windows. 

People saw the queen seek refuge in the king’s arms, hiding her face in his chest, and the king cradling her against him, arms around her, one hand stroking her hair. 

We don’t have photos, because none of the witnesses dared. But they’ve all reported and demonstrated it. I’m sighing here. 

3. The hand-in-pocket cuteness when we visited the palace before Queens Day 

You’ve read about this in the Royal Twinkle, of course! 

4. Turning up late and blushing during Queens Day

You also remember this from our recent report. Their Majesties turned up late for their scheduled appearance, and then the king was just a giggling mess in the dim part of the stage (stage right), and the queen just looked at him, blushing. 

The Royal Public Affairs Office almost had no comment, but remarked that the king and queen are newlyweds. Well, that’s exactly and the ajhummas and I said, didn’t we. 

5. Another hand-holding-and-tuck, also during Queens Day 

Remember the king looking anxious whenever the queen was onstage, despite the queen being surrounded by the Royal Guard? 

We have eyewitness reports from people closer to the stage, who have craned their necks or ducked between people’s onstage legs to get a glimpse of the king and queen whenever the guards surrounded them. 

Apparently, the king invariably fetched the queen in the same way. He would go on stage, take her hand with his left and hold her hand against his chest while his right hand and arm tucked her securely against his side. 

I love a man who’s so enamored of his wife he takes hold of her with both hands. 

6. The distraction during the Opening of Parliament in Seoul  

The Opening of Parliament is a series of ceremonies dating back to 1945, when the parliament was first established. We were hoping to see the queen accompany the king, but she had stayed in Busan-- and we now know the reason why, don’t we? 

In one of these ceremonies, the king was supposed to signal the Usher to open the door to summon the Ministers into Parliament.  

But the king had seemed transfixed by a bunch of forget-me-nots included in the predominantly blue flower arrangement in the Parliament’s subdued decorations for the occasion. 

Sources say the king had a fond expression on his face, and his eyes were, according to the reports, shining, like he was near tears. 

The Royal Public Affairs Office had no comment. It seems the significance of the forget-me-nots remains a secret between the King and Queen.  

Since then, forget-me-nots in pots and seeds and cultivars have sold out across the kingdom.  

7. Every time they step out of the car

This is an event people of Corea have come to watch, even more so than the actual events the king and queen attended. 

Unlike other royals who get their doors opened for them, the queen gets her door opened by none other than the king. 

It always happens this way. A member of the royal guard opens the king’s car door, the king steps out, and then he goes around the car to open the queen’s door. 

And then we watch with bated breath as the queen swivels in her seat to bring both legs and feet outside the car. The king’s hand is already waiting, and she takes it with one of hers. 

He helps her to her feet and then just smiles at her for long moments, head tilted to her, whether or not she’s also looking at him or is already distracted by the crowds. 

And they hold each other’s hands until they absolutely have to let go. Duties be damned. They’re working royals, yes, but they’re married and in love! 

It’s become a game among members of the media and event organizers to attempt to prolong that hand holding as long as possible. 

Ministers of Parliament and their wives-- the more popular ones-- always seem to have planned on holding something in their hands so that they only bowed to the king and queen and Their Majesties didn’t have to offer to shake hands. 

It’s ridiculous and yet delicious, the way this romance has united the country like this, both Parliament and public besotted with them.  

Their Majesties hold hands so romantically too. Their grip is always so visible, like they’re constantly gently squeezing each other’s hands. 

Corean celebrities and their own significant others imitate this on red carpets, calling it the royal handhold. 

8. An actual kiss after the Bureau of Fire Protection Annual Gala

No wonder the gala raised nearly a billion won. The queen had turned up unexpectedly, remember? 

And we’ve had matching stories from eyewitnesses who saw the queen’s car pull up to take her back to the palace. At the time, the Royal Guard had taken care of crowd control, to make sure only the queen was leaving at the time, with no other car waiting or leaving. 

But the gala had been held in a converted warehouse in Clearwater Bay, and as such, a doorway was practically an entire absent wall, so plenty of people had a vantage point of seeing the king stepping out of the car. 

The queen was visibly surprised to see him, and then she was gently greeted with a kiss before being just as gently ushered into the car. 

9. Every time the king broke the order of precedence-- and he continues to do so 

For state and diplomatic events, the order of precedence protocol dictates that the queen consort follows two steps behind the king. If they have a son, the crown prince will be next in line, literally, after the king, overtaking the queen consort unless His Majesty gives a king’s order about it. 

That king’s order is only a matter of time. I very much doubt the king or his heir will let the queen trail after them. 

Since their marriage, we’ve witnessed the king and queen attend two state events and one diplomatic event: the investiture of the re-elected Prime Minister in July, the 383rd anniversary of King Yeongjeong’s Defeat of the Qing Invasion in early August, and a return visit from Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden. 

The PM’s investiture was held in the Royal Audience Hall, and the king and queen arrived when everyone was already seated. 

The anniversary was commemorated in King Yeongjong’s Memorial in Yeongjong Park in Busan, where Their Majesties were driven right up to the blue carpet leading to the memorial statue. 

For Crown Princess Victoria’s arrival, the king and queen publicly welcomed her at Busan Airport, with the heir of Sweden and Their Majesties of Corea walking toward each other to give and accept welcome.

In all three events, the king does walk ahead at first, but then he always stops and waits for the queen, turning back to her and putting an arm around her upper back. Then they walk side by side, or even with the queen slightly ahead of the king. 

We’ve seen the queen give the king a look, but the king just smiles at her, a restrained close-mouthed smile, or an outright grin, which was what he wore when they met Crown Princess Victoria, who is a friend. 

10. A hug after a long day in Busan. There’s so much love inside the palace. 

This one is from the Royal Public Affairs Office, captioned, “The king meeting the queen in the grounds after a long day.”

If you’ve been to the palace grounds for Queens Day, you will recognize this clock. It’s in the part of the extensive gardens open to the public, and it has a little coffee shop where you can taste the palace’s appointed teas, coffees and cakes.

The print came to us exactly like that-- it’s not the fault of our scanners. Perhaps it’s a stolen shot and our dear Mr. Jang Mi-reuk hastily took it and then made the photo grainy and overexposed when he hid his phone again? Who knows. 

And who cares?! 

Look at how the king holds the queen as if they’d been apart for days or weeks rather than hours. The press of his head to hers, the curl of his body around hers, and that hand cradling the queen’s head-- these all speak of his love for her, and I’m melting. 

That royal baby is going to be such a beloved baby. The royal parents certainly don’t shy away from displaying that love. 

I don’t want to leave Corea. I want to follow this happily ever after today and forever. 

More to come! Stay tuned. 

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[chiropteracupola]

All the words I couldn't say to you / Oh, the damage I'd have wrought...