Park Han-sol reports on Korea's financial regulators, along with fintech and insurance. She previously wrote about the art world, from biennales and exhibitions to fairs and auctions, with a focus on Seoul and the figures shaping the scene. Before joining The Korea Times, she spent a year at ABC News' Seoul bureau, contributing to coverage of major Asia-Pacific events.
From spotlight to stove, actor Ryu Soo-young serves up his first cookbook
Actor Ryu Soo-young poses with his debut cookbook, "Ryu Soo-young's Forever Recipe" (unofficial translation), prior to a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
By Park Han-sol
Veteran actor Ryu Soo-young sees acting and cooking as bearing “different temperatures.”
On set, his heart races — something burning and alive stirs within him, setting him alight.
“But those on fire are only admired from afar. People watch, but rarely come close. To be an actor is to glow alone,” he reflected on a sun-drenched Tuesday morning in Seoul, as he sat down for a press conference for his new venture.
Cooking, on the other hand, kindles a softer flame.
“There’s no blaze — just a gentle warmth," he said. "And it’s that warmth that draws others near as we share the same food. To me, that means everything.”
Perhaps that’s why, for Ryu, who has captivated audiences with his magnetic presence on both big and small screens since his 1998 debut, the kitchen has become more than a personal retreat.
Since 2020, when he began sharing his own recipes on KBS’ popular program “Stars’ Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant,” his cooking videos have racked up over 300 million views on YouTube. What began as a private joy has blossomed into something larger — a second self, shaped not by the glare of the spotlight, but by the subtle heat and steady rhythm of a simmering pan.
A cover of "Ryu Soo-young's Forever Recipe" / Courtesy of Semicolon
Among more than 300 home-cooked recipes created by the actor, 79 have been compiled into his debut cookbook, “Ryu Soo-young’s Forever Recipe.”
The featured dishes — from simple “gimbap” (seaweed rice rolls) and one-pan pasta to “gochujang jjigae” (spicy red pepper paste stew) and churros made with dumpling wrappers — are refreshingly easy to follow, built around everyday ingredients and shortcuts he picked up through trial and error.
“My trick is this: taking things out,” he said with a smile. “I’d initially try recipes from well-known chefs and think, 'Do I really need this item?' It’s expensive and doesn’t add much to the flavor. So I’d leave it out or replace it with something else.”
Rather than using conventional measuring spoons or cups, he relies on familiar tools: a rice spoon, a mug, even a soju glass. And no oven is required; every recipe can be made with the basics.
His flavor-boosting tips are just as down-to-earth: simmering “miyeokguk” (seaweed soup) with half an apple to deepen the broth, or stir-frying all the gimbap fillings in carrot oil for extra aroma.
“There’s nothing fancy in this book — just simple, familiar staples we eat all the time,” he said. “No complicated steps, no rare ingredients. But if you follow the recipe with what you already have at home, you might take a bite and wonder, 'Why does this taste good?' That’s the kind of cooking I wanted to share.”
Among more than 300 home-cooked recipes created by Ryu Soo-young, 79 are offered in his first cookbook. The featured dishes are refreshingly easy to follow, built around everyday ingredients and shortcuts he picked up through trial and error. Courtesy of Semicolon
Global mission for K-food
Though his debut cookbook just hit the shelves on June 25, Ryu already has new projects quietly taking shape behind the scenes.
For his second volume, he intends to share recipes that didn’t make it into the first, along with seasonal “banchan” side dishes designed to round out daily meals.
With global interest in Korean food on the rise, he also dreams of releasing an English-language edition.
“When Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman visited Korea last year, I served them my ‘galbijjim’ (braised pork short ribs),” he recalled. “I cooked the same dish for 200 kids at a Korean language summer camp in the city of Bemidji, Minnesota, and they all loved it.”
As an honorary ambassador of Korean home cooking, Ryu imagines a more prominent place for Korean cuisine on the world stage. Last year, he combined his celebrity presence with culinary skills, giving a lecture on Korean food at Stanford University and sharing his dishes with people in Vanuatu, Spain, Peru and the U.S.
“What I’ve come to believe is that for a cuisine to survive, it has to evolve by meeting and mingling with other cultures,” he said. “Gochujang can find harmony with hot sauce or mayonnaise; kimchi can welcome tomatoes.”
And he hopes to broaden the image of Korean food beyond its bold, spicy fare.
“There’s a gentler, healthier side too, like ‘namul,’ where we blanch wild greens to remove bitterness and toxins before seasoning," he said. "I want the world to know that.”