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Edward Lee, Faker named global ambassadors for K-food
Edward Lee poses in front of a booth for Pulmuone during Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, Calif., March 5. At the booth, he showcased healthy K-foods using tofu and kimchi. Courtesy of Pulmuone
By Ko Dong-hwan
Gov't taps 7 global ambassadors for K-food export push
Celebrity chef Edward Lee and the country's League of Legends superstar Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok have become Korea's official global ambassadors for K-foods, the government said Wednesday, as it seeks to expand exports and raise the profile of Korean cuisine overseas.
The two are among seven newly appointed ambassadors tasked with promoting Korean food in key overseas markets, including the Americas, Europe and Southeast Asia.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Wednesday that Lee, a Korean American fine dining guru, will be at the forefront of promoting Korean gastronomy across the United States and Canada. Showcasing his cooking using Korean food products and ingredients at local and international food shows in North America will be a basic manual for the chef hailing from Louisville, Kentucky.
Faker, six-time world champion and 10-time winner of domestic leagues for the multiplayer online battle arena game, will be K-food's face across Chinese-speaking markets worldwide. He will promote Korean food through esports events in the regions.
The appointments were decided on at a public-private discussion meeting for a K-foods export plan. It was joined by nine ministries, six major food companies — CJ, Samyang, Daesang, Maeil Dairies, Nongshim and Korea Ginseng Corp. — as well as related private and state-run agencies.
Chef Lee sent a video message to the meeting at the office for the Support Task Force for the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange in Seoul. He said he “feels strong pride in his new role” and will promote Korea’s diverse gastronomic dishes and culture.
Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok appears in an ad for Paldo's Big Bowl Ramyeon in this May 2025 photo. Courtesy of Paldo
Alongside Edward Lee, Hooni Kim, another chef active in the U.S., will target North America for food promotion. Korean halal desserts and street foods will be promoted to Southeast Asian nations through online content by Instagram influencer Durian Kimchi, while former KBS reporter Sohn Mina and professional emcee Park Ye-seul will keep speaking to Europe. Heidy Fernandez, a Peruvian social influencer with 230,000 Instagram followers, was appointed as honorary ambassador for Latin America.
The meeting, hosted by the agriculture ministry, reviewed the roles of participating ministries and discussed challenges facing food companies in overseas markets. Officials also reiterated the government's goal of raising K-food exports to $16 billion this year, up from $13.5 billion in 2025. Last year's exports exceeded the target by $120 million.
The companies, according to the government, pointed out surging prices of raw ingredient imports, the unfavorable exchange rate and logistics costs as key hurdles. Countries’ trade regulations against importing foods also present nontariff barriers for the firms.
In the meeting, the participating ministries agreed to support the companies. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources agreed to accelerate Korean exports to emerging K-food markets in India and countries in Africa and Latin America by using local logistics centers more rigorously. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the task force were tasked to strengthen K-food’s connections to diverse industries beyond lifestyle including music, online cartoons and movies.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung speaks during a K-food export planning meeting with officials from related ministries and representatives of major Korean food companies at the office of the Support Task Force for the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will introduce the “K-food smart manufacturing alliance,” while the Ministry of Intellectual Property will keep promoting the government's certification system for K-food exporters. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety was asked to boost the inspection system for foods imported into Korea.
The food ministry’s ongoing K-food promotion programs such as K-Chicken Belt and local brewery tour programs will be more extensively advertised by the country’s official tourism promotion platform, Visit Korea. The ministry said it will also use more local specialties across the country like Korean traditional desserts, alcohol and mother-of-pearl lacquerware to make new “K-food premium gift sets” for foreign dignitaries visiting Korea.
"For K-food to soar globally, we will implement more detailed export supports through pan-governmental collaboration and broader promotion of K-initiatives,” Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung said.
"We will elevate the brand value of Korea through collaboration of K-foods and K-initiatives. We look forward to seeing fresh ideas of university students and active engagement by our new K-food honorary ambassadors.”