Korea launches inaugural 'Korean Food Day' with 3-day festival in Seoul
A full course meal of traditional Korean cuisine at Korea House in Seoul features 13 dishes ranging from appetizers and side dishes to main courses, rice and desserts. Courtesy of Korea Heritage Agency
Korean food will take center stage at National Museum of Korea later this month as Korea marks its first legally designated Korean Food Day with a three-day festival featuring chefs, food creators and industry experts.
HANSIK FESTA will run Oct. 23-25 at the museum’s auditorium and Mirror Pond area, with events organized by Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Friday’s program will include the first Korean Food Day ceremony and a conference examining how Korean cuisine can evolve as both a cultural asset and global industry.
Speakers will include chef Ok Dong-sik, chef Son Jong-won of Eatanic Garden, producer Lee Wook-jung, Park Hyun-young of Life Trend Observation Center and Kim Sook-jin of CJ CheilJedang.
The conference will explore Korean food’s place in global dining, its emergence as a brand and how food, culture and media have helped carry Korean cuisine beyond Korea.
Visitors can watch cooking demonstrations featuring master chef Lee Ha-yeon, chef Han Shin-hee, monk Woo Kwan, chef Park Joo-eun and food creators including Magic Boy Kim Chef and Eunsujeo.
The festival will also feature a Korean food quiz, cooking classes, cultural performances, a food-and-film talk, company showcases and restaurant pop-ups offering Korean dishes and desserts.
A flea market will offer Korean ingredients, desserts, tableware and other products tied to Korean food culture.
Oh Jin-hee, director general of public cultural diplomacy at the Foreign Ministry, said Korean food was becoming an asset for building connections and friendship with people around the world.
The festival will bring together classic Korean heritage with modern food innovations — from company showcases to trendy pop-up desserts — according to Jung Kyung-seok, a top food policy official at the Agriculture Ministry.
"It is deeply meaningful to celebrate the very first Korean Food Day together with the public," Jung said. "We have prepared a rich lineup where visitors can enjoy everything from traditional Korean cuisine to innovative dishes and desserts that blend cutting-edge technology with artistic sensibility. We hope many domestic and international guests will come experience the flavors and stories of Korean food."
Korean Food Day falls on Oct. 24, with organizers describing the date as representing harmony between completion and the seasonal rhythms embodied in Korea’s 24 solar terms.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.