INTERVIEW Entrepreneur wants to bridge Korea, Denmark

Bruce Kim, who leads Korean restaurant KOPAN, media outlet Naked Denmark and travel agency Insight Denmark, poses in front of the restaurant. / Courtesy of Kim

By Choi Ha-young

For most of Koreans, Denmark is a faraway country with an unimaginable welfare system that Korea does not dare imitate. That’s not the case for Bruce Kim, 33, founder of KOPAN, a Korean restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Seven years ago, Kim arrived in the Scandinavian country as a student majoring in engineering. As one of a handful Koreans staying there, he was often contacted by Korean media aimed at framing Denmark as the “happiest country.”

“As a student there was a dearth of information. Is the ‘happiest country’ all about Denmark? I concluded that I needed to meet diverse people and starting a restaurant was the best way to do it,” Kim told The Korea Times.

In his early days, he only sold hotteok, or Korean-styled pancakes filled with sugar and seeds. “I thought the winter season street food would appeal to Danish people, but what they wanted to taste were well-known Korean foods such as kimchi and bulgogi,” he said. Then Kim created a fusion hotteok stuffed with kimchi and bulgogi.

Copenhagen’s Korean food restaurant KOPAN’s signature menu, from top, kimchi hotteok, bulgogi hotteok and seed hotteok / Courtesy of Kim

Now, the restaurant is working as a “self-reliant community” for Koreans staying in Denmark. Most of his colleagues are “defectors” who left Korea, being fed up with the unforgiving competition and oppressive work culture.

“The restaurant could be a tool to help them make a living in the foreign country. During my spare time, I help them to discover an alternative lifestyle in Denmark and develop a tailored course for each person.”

Kim’s project is based on his own analysis about the origin of various social problems in Korea ― primarily caused by the world’s longest working hours.

“Compared to Danish workers, Koreans work double the time. However, Denmark’s GDP per capita is almost twice as much as Korea’s. I learned this is because the Danish people are accustomed to collaborate, so they easily find the most effective way to raise labor productivity.”

His latest projects ― “Naked Denmark,” Korean-language media covering Danish affairs and “Inside Denmark,” a travel agency for Korean visitors ― are aimed at spreading his ideas to Korea. He delivers in-depth information about Denmark through the media and gives Korean tourists a chance to have a glimpse of Danish society by running the travel agency.

“Danish society did not respect human values from its beginning. It was a war-torn country under the rule of the Nazis, similar to Korea that underwent colonization and war,” he said.

“To prevent dictatorship, the Danish people adopted democracy as a slogan of the nation’s education. Even now, citizens keep creating grassroots organizations that back up the system. They are always on the alert to prevent another violent ruler, not to repeat their tragic history.”

That’s why Kim believes Korea is also able to improve the people’s quality of life. “To achieve this, the most effective way is let Koreans experience the lifestyle of the Danish people. That’s why the Insight Denmark prioritizes face-to-face meetings between Korean visitors and the Danes, rather than merely swinging by tourist attractions.”

On the other hand, Denmark can learn Korea’s dynamic aspect and vitalize its economy, as Korea pioneered global companies rapidly. “I want to bridge Korea and Denmark and find an optimal way between the two distinctive development paths.”