Yahoo News Chip and Joanna Gaines Have a Glam Date Night at the White House for South Korea State Dinner
“What an honor it was to be a part of tonight’s State Dinner to celebrate the 70 year alliance between the United States of America and my mother's home country of South Korea,” Joanna said on Instagram
Chip and Joanna Gaines know how to have a date night in style!
On Wednesday, the Magnolia Network couple stepped out in black-tie style for a glam date night at the White House. They were guests at the state dinner, where President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee.
Joanna wore a floor-length, asymmetrical off-the-shoulder dress, while Chip coordinated in a sleek black suit and tie. In an Instagram post, Joanna shared a glimpse of the evening through a series of photos, including some of the duo posing outside of the White House, along with selfies inside the dinner. Of course, the design expert also took snaps of the luxe flower arrangements on the tables.
"What an honor it was to be a part of tonight's State Dinner to celebrate the 70 year alliance between the United States of America and my mother's home country of South Korea," she wrote in the caption.
Joanna then shared sentiments of pride for her heritage.
"Coming off the heels of our incredible trip to Seoul, this evening was another reminder of just how proud I am to be a Korean American🇺🇸🇰🇷❤️," she said.
Earlier this month, the Gainses set off on a trip to South Korea, where Joanna was able to honor her Korean roots.
The trip from her hometown of Waco, Texas, to the South Korean capital comes after Joanna, who is half Korean on her mom's side, opened up about her journey toward embracing her heritage last year.
On her Instagram Story, the Fixer Upper: Welcome Home star shared a few snaps of herself sporting a red-and-gold hanbok, a type of traditional Korean outfit, alongside her 4-year-old son Crew who donned a light blue hanbok. Joanna and Chip also share four older children — Drake, 18, Ella, 16, Duke, 14, and Emmie, 13 — who also joined for the trip.
She also shared a photo of Crew admiring his outfit, along with the caption, "He loves the bow," as well as one of her mom, Nan, smiling big as she showed off her multicolor hanbok.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE in November, Joanna revealed she wasn't always enthusiastic about celebrating her heritage because she was bullied for it when she was younger.
She recalled how her classmates would call her names and tease her for eating rice at lunch. "We were literally the only Asians in our entire school," she added, referring to her and her sisters.
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"It was deeply personal because that was half of my story," she told PEOPLE. "I realized if this isn't accepted, maybe I need to hide it and play more into the other side of who I am."
It wasn't until she traveled to New York City for a college internship that she says she realized her heritage is what makes her unique.
"I saw more people that looked like me than ever before," she explained. "I left really understanding the beauty and uniqueness of Korean culture and for the first time I felt whole, like this is fully who I am and I'm proud of it."
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