From barbecue to raw fish to instant noodles: Korean presidents’ distinct tastes in food

Cheon Sang-hyun of Netflix’s "Culinary Class Wars" prepares rice cake soup in Seoul. Korea Times file

More than 20 years of service across five presidents — that is the résumé of Cheon Sang-hyun, who recently appeared on Netflix’s competition show “Culinary Class Wars" Season 2. Now, the veteran chef is drawing renewed attention for a different reason: reflecting on what it was like to cook for Korea’s most powerful figures.

For two decades, Cheon worked at Cheong Wa Dae, Korea's presidential office, preparing meals for five former presidents. He recalls that their dining habits varied sharply — from Kim Dae-jung, known for his especially hearty appetite, to Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in, who favored unpretentious, everyday meals.

Cheon looked back on his years in the presidential kitchen during an appearance on an MBC Radio show on Thursday. Long before becoming known to the public as a “white chef” on “Culinary Class Wars,” he had already made history at Cheong Wa Dae — as the first specialist in Chinese cuisine to serve there, the youngest chef ever appointed and the longest-serving.

“I’m the first presidential chef to receive a pension,” Cheon said, explaining that he began working at Cheong Wa Dae at age 30 in 1998, the first year of Kim’s presidency, and served until 2018 under Moon. “All told, I worked for 20 years and four months.”

Roh Moo-hyun, then a presidential candidate for the Millennium Democratic Party, eats barley rice during a campaign stop in Daegu in 2002. Korea Times file

'Kim Dae-jung ate as much as a judo athlete'

Cheon said he owed his career at Cheong Wa Dae to Kim’s fondness for Chinese cuisine. However, it was difficult to look directly at the former president because of his commanding presence, he recalled.

“He was a big eater,” Cheon said. “In the early days of his presidency, he ate as much as a judo athlete, which surprised me. At that time, he was working tirelessly to steer the country through the 1997 Asian financial crisis."

Roh favored haemul pajeon, or seafood green onion pancake, and makgeolli, a traditional Korean fermented rice alcohol, Cheon said. According to the chef, Roh ate whatever was served and offered brief, straightforward feedback, typically telling the kitchen staff that he enjoyed the meal.

“He was exactly as he appeared in public — very down to earth,” Cheon said. He recalled that Roh often cooked instant noodles himself on weekends to eat with his family and told kitchen staff there was no need to come in early or prepare breakfast for him. Cheon also shared that he occasionally smoked with Roh at a rest area within the Cheong Wa Dae grounds.

He also described Moon as similarly unpretentious, recalling that the former president favored makhoe — a rustic style of raw fish — and hangover soups.

Former President Park Geun-hye / Korea Times file

Former President Park Geun-hye was the least picky eater among the five, according to Cheon. While she did not eat large portions, he said she had the widest range of food preferences.

Park was especially fond of fermented skate, to the point that she ate it so strongly fermented that it burned the roof of her mouth. After that incident, Cheon said, the kitchen prepared a milder version in line with instructions from Cheong Wa Dae's medical office.

As for former President Lee Myung-bak, Cheon recalled he had a businesslike style. “He enjoyed communal meals, like charcoal-grilled barbecue cooked and eaten together,” he said.

'Training during presidential trips and vacations'

Cheon also spoke about his respect for master chef Hou Deok-juk, who appeared alongside him on "Culinary Class Wars" Season 2. Whenever the president traveled abroad or went on vacation, Cheon said he used the time to seek further training from Hou.

“He recommended me for the Cheong Wa Dae position, so in a way I left before I could learn everything from him,” Cheon said. During breaks, he said, he would stay with Hou for two or three nights at a time, receiving instruction until 8 or 9 p.m.

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.