K-Seafood Preparing to Expand onto the World Stage

As news continued to pour in towards the end of last year about invigorating Korean seafood exports, expectations for the global expansion of K-Seafood are on the rise. In November of last year, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries hosted the ‘2023 K-Seafood Global Week’ events across 131 distribution channels in 17 countries to elevate the global recognition of Korean seafood products. Furthermore, Incheon Port recorded its highest-ever volume of seafood exports. In Busan, the ‘2023 Busan International Seafood Expo,’ one of the top three comprehensive seafood exhibitions in Asia, was held, where Wando-gun signed seafood export agreements with buyers from six countries including Japan and the United States.

Over the past few years, despite challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and global supply chain crises, Korean seafood has expanded its presence abroad. With various efforts underway to pioneer seafood routes, hopes are high for Korean seafood to find its place on the tables of people worldwide more frequently this year.

Korean Restaurants Expanding Presence in China

Recently, Korean restaurants in China have expanded beyond Korean business districts into downtown areas and around campuses. As Korean dramas and music have gained popularity among the 20s and 30s, who are also the primary consumer base of foreign cuisine, interest in Hansik has naturally increased. With the growing number of Korean restaurants in China, the variety of Korean dishes has also diversified. Particularly, there’s a rising interest in franchise restaurants specializing in grilled meats and premium Hansik.

Local Chinese individuals who have experienced Hansik show high satisfaction due to its reasonable pricing and healthiness, indicating that the expansion of Korean restaurants is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Additionally, standardized cooking methods in Korean restaurants are highly favored among chefs, fostering further anticipation for the increased prevalence of Hansik.

Korean Cup Ramyeon Thriving in Japan

Korean cup ramyeon has captured the attention of Japan. With the surge in popularity of K-content in Japan and the increase of Korean tourists to Japan, even major Japanese cup ramyeon manufacturers are now commercializing various cup ramyeon products based on Hansik concepts. It’s particularly striking that there are releases of cup ramyeon varieties themed around Korean dishes like sundubujjigae (soft bean curd stew), seolleongtang (ox bone soup) and budaejjigae (sausage stew), in addition to the typical cup ramyeon flavors.

While the previous popularity of Korean ramyeon was largely driven by curiosity for Korean spicy flavors and novelty, the current trend can be seen as recognition of Korean flavors themselves and the bolstering of the status of Hansik. Japan, deeply immersed in K-cup  ramyeon, has even started producing its own Korean-style cup ramyeon. We hope that  this movements will lead to Hansik not merely being a momentarily popular foreign cuisine, but rather establishing itself as part of people's everyday meals.

Korean Restaurant's Entry into the New York Michelin Guide Sets a New All-Time Record

New York, known as a global culinary hub,  is home to numerous Michelin-starred restaurants. Last year, among the 71 Michelin-starred restaurants in New York, 11 were Korean. This marked the highest record to date, accounting for approximately 15% of the total Michelin-starred restaurants in New York. Such a remarkable result was achieved by the addition of two new one-starred restaurants, while the existing restaurants maintained their Michelin status. Particularly noteworthy is the addition of ‘Meju,’ which offers traditional fermented cuisine-focused fine dining.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Korean restaurant 'Bansang' saw its mulhoemyeon (cold raw fish soup with noodles) listed among the "23 Best Dishes of the Year" by The New York Times (NYT) in 2023. Last year was unequivocally a year full of significant acknowledgments of Hansik in major cities across the United States. Anticipations are high for this momentum to continue throughout the coming year.

"’Hansik Special Week' Held at the National Theater of France“

The French National Theater, with a history spanning over 340 years, is the world's oldest theatre. Recently, at the in-house cafeteria of this living historical site and sanctuary of French cultural arts, a special event called ‘Hansik Special Week' was held. This event, aimed at promoting the charm of K-Food, featured iconic Korean dishes such as kimchi, bulgogi, bibimbap, dakgangjeong (deep-fried and braised chicken), and mandu (dumplings)  as lunch menus. Over a five-day period, the event drew  over 1,000 visitors and reportedly received high praise from the participants.

During the first half of last year, there was an event promoting K-Food held at the cafeteria within the historic campus of Sapienza University of Rome, boasting the longest history in Europe. Experiencing Hansik in such historic and culturally significant places would likely have left a special impression on local participants.

50th Anniversary of Korea-India Diplomatic Relations: Cultural Exchange Exhibition of Culinary Cultures

At E:eum, a Korean cultural space located in Bukchon, Seoul, a Korean-Indian food culture exchange exhibition was held until December 31st. This event, held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and India, featured various programs allowing participants to compare and experience the cuisines of both countries, sharing their food cultures.  In particular, the theme of street food introduced familiar Korean dishes like gimbap and tteokbokki, alongside  on Indian sandwich called Vada Pav, which sparked significant interest.

It is said that even in India, which was once considered a barren land for the Hallyu wave, the Korean wave is gaining popularity recently due to the rising fame of K-pop. This trend isn't confined solely to content; it's naturally expanding to food exposed in  K-pop content. As two countries that have shared a 50-year friendship, we look forward to a more active exchange between Korean and Indian cuisine and cultures in the coming year.