South Korean first lady Kim Yoon-ok hosted a luncheon and cultural performances on Tuesday for the visiting spouses of global leaders attending the ongoing Nuclear Security Summit.

Seventeen spouses came to Seoul with heads of state and leaders of key international organizations for the global conference, one of the largest international events South Korea has ever hosted.

Kim welcomed 15 spouses at the presidential office where they were served a Korean traditional meal with a "Spring of Korea" theme, accompanied by various performances.

The Turkish and Chinese first ladies did not participate for unknown reasons.

As an active promoter of Korean cuisine, Kim stepped up her culinary diplomacy by offering choices of japchae, stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables, and kimchijeon, savory kimchi pancakes.

After the meal, the spouses enjoyed a performance titled "Queen's Morning," featuring hanbok, a traditional Korean costume.

A pop music concert by boy band JYJ and Korean ballad singer Seong Si-kyung took place later on.

"First lady Kim strove to introduce Korean culture that truly embodies the past and the present," an official at the presidential office said. "She put her utmost efforts to successfully host the country's biggest international gathering to date."

The attendees included those from Gabon, Nigeria, South Africa, Malaysia, Vietnam, Switzerland, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Italy, Chile, Turkey, the Philippines, the United Nations, and the European Union.