'Gimbap' becomes mainstream food worldwide thanks to drama 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo'
In the Korean drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," the protagonist Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin) looks at a plate of "gimbap" on a tray. Captured from ENA YouTube channel
The global success of the 2022 ENA drama “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” has propelled "gimbap" — steamed rice and various ingredients wrapped in dry seaweed — into the ranks of globally recognized Korean cuisine, according to an analysis featured in a major U.S. newspaper.
The show's protagonist, Woo Young-woo, played by Park Eun-bin, frequently enjoys gimbap, and these scenes resonated with international audiences through its release on Netflix, sparking a surge in popularity for the dish.
The Washington Post on Sunday (local time) published an op-ed titled "How Korea’s kimbap went from comfort food to global sensation." The piece was written by Alex Prewitt, a second-generation Korean American who worked as a sports journalist at The Post until 2015.
Prewitt argues that the key turning point for gimbap’s global recognition was its prominent feature in “Extraordinary Attorney Woo.” He opens his article by noting that "early into the first episode, even before the main character sets foot in a courtroom or law office, actor Park's first lines of the entire hit Korean television show are spent making the case for gimbap.” He also directly quotes her line from the show: “Kimbap is reliable. I can see all the ingredients, so I will not be alarmed by unexpected texture or flavor.”
Korean "gimbap" sold at the U.S. grocery chain Trader Joe's / Captured from YouTube channel Unni_Regina
According to Prewitt, these scenes, where Woo introduces and eats gimbap played a crucial role in "globalizing kimbap."
He highlights that the drama, which premiered on Netflix in July 2022, held the No. 1 spot in the "Non-English TV Shows" category for seven consecutive weeks, serving as a major catalyst for international interest in gimbap. "The humble picnic table staple rocketed to mainstream relevance," he added.
Indeed, gimbap has gained worldwide popularity since then. Prewitt notes that in August 2023, the U.S. grocery chain Trader Joe’s introduced frozen vegetable gimbap, which sold out within weeks. He also cites the sale of similar products at Costco, as well as the emergence of gimbap restaurants in Germany, Australia and South Africa, as further evidence of its growing appeal.
Prewitt also includes expert commentary on the phenomenon. Robert Ku, a professor at Binghamton University who has written extensively on the history of Korean cuisine, described the globalization of gimbap as "quite impressive," adding that "Extraordinary Attorney Woo” was a real catalyst for that spread.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.