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| Yoo Jae-woong, Eulji University professor in the public relations and design department of Eulji University, is an expert in national image and branding. Courtesy of Yoo Jae-woong |
By Yoo Jae-woong
Somewhere along the way, Korean TV became inundated with a type of program known as "meokbang" that showcases different foods. It's a peculiar phenomenon, the likes of which are hard to find anywhere else in the world. Flip through your TV channels at any given time and you'll find that three or four of them are airing some program related to food.
It's enough to leave people with the impression that Korea is some kind of "meokbang republic" where everyone thinks about eating and drinking nonstop.
Meokbang programs offer valuable food-related information and there's occasionally a kind of catharsis or vicarious satisfaction from watching. As the public becomes more interested in food, the profession of chef is increasingly turning into a popular choice among young people. These are some of the positive aspects of meokbang television.
But not all the aspects are positive. The excess of meokbang runs the risk of promoting overconsumption of food, with potentially damaging consequences for the Korean public's health. Not long ago, Korean government authorities were sufficiently motivated by health concerns to raise the alarm over the rampant meokbang issue.
They barely had time to state their case before they were silenced by critical opinion, as people accused the government of inserting itself into the public's private affairs. Still, the meokbang issue has not gone away.
It certainly is true that the programs carry serious problems in both quantitative and qualitative terms. While it may not be the government's place to bring up their suitability directly, some efforts to improve them through a process of social debate are worth considering in the interest of promoting public health, food industry development and the public interest.
First and foremost, meokbang programs have had no small impact on the development of Korea's culinary culture. While they certainly have helped to get the public more interested in food, one of their more worrisome aspects is the way they contribute to standardizing Korean food culture in undesirable ways.
The types of food that tend to be strongly preferred on meokbang programs are those that offer more "bang" for the proverbial buck. In other words, they serve food that is affordable and plentiful without sacrificing the flavor of other restaurants selling similar dishes.
But these three values are somewhat incompatible. Unless they're operating some sort of charitable enterprise, the people who make a living through food are not going to survive in the market if they sell food that is cheap and plentiful and use good ingredients. It's more likely the case that some abnormal aspect is at play in ways that are not visible to the outside.
Upgrading Korea's food culture will require us to adopt different standards for "value."
That means letting go of cost and quantity as our primary metrics for food value and adopting cost relative to total satisfaction in its place. A flavorful meal affords us satisfaction and happiness that go beyond mere satiation. The standards here are not just taste, cost and quantity, but also a range of other factors including service, hygiene and atmosphere.
Korea's culinary culture could become much more diverse and higher in quality if we were to adopt this collection of values as our standards for the food in meokbang programs.
Meokbang shows also have no small impact on the reputation of Korea's restaurant industry. Once an establishment appears on a program, it tends to be inundated with customers; the chefs who prepare the food become minor celebrities.
Meanwhile, there are many other, anonymous people who are talented chefs yet never have the chance to appear on any meokbang show. Competition in the Korean restaurant industry has intensified; people open restaurants with big ideals and ambitions, yet find it difficult to survive even two to three years. As young people with creativity and a passion for food enter the restaurant business, an urgent need arises for societal support and consideration, allowing them the time and opportunity to show their skills.
More than any material support, what matters most to them is the sense of social recognition that comes when their efforts are properly evaluated. Korea's restaurant industry could recover some of its vibrancy if the meokbang shows were to adopt a more open approach and make the effort to find and encourage these up-and-coming young chefs.
The meokbang programs also have a direct influence on culinary culture, which has profound significance in terms of the national interest. When we visit or develop an interest in a country, some of the most lasting associations we acquire have to do with its food. In some ways, Korean food has remained underrated and lesser known than the cuisines of other countries.
A few years back, the Lee Myung-bak administration spearheaded a push for the globalization of Korean cuisine, but the results can't really be viewed as a success. Korea's culinary culture will only be able to win its due global recognition when we show not just an understanding of that culture and its traditions, but also the creativity to understand and meet the needs of overseas consumers. The Korean Wave to date has been driven by Korean films, miniseries, video games and popular music (K-pop). Hopefully it is time for Korean cuisine to carry on that mantle with its own boom.
With some effort, this is certainly achievable. A Korean cuisine wave would also contribute to increasing tourism demand and elevating Korea's national image. The key players in creating this kind of climate are the same passionate young chefs and restaurant workers who are struggling now in the food industry. Boosting their morale is a niche the meokbang shows are well suited to fill. I look forward to seeing some forward-thinking changes from Korea's meokbang shows.
The writer is a professor in the public relations and design department of Eulji University. He served as assistant minister of the Korean Overseas Information Service from 2004 to 2008. He can be reached at yoojw777@hanmail.net.
