Women head chefs now helm 1 in 10 Michelin-starred restaurants in Korea

This combined image of photos provided by Michelin Guide shows Korean women who are head chefs leading Michelin-starred restaurants in Seoul and Busan as of 2026. From left are Kim Ji-hye of Fiotto, Kim Bo-mi of Mitou, Cho Eun-hee of Onjium, Kim Hee-eun of Soul and Choi Hyeon-ah of GAGGEN by Choi Junho. Korea Times graphic by Cho Sang-won

Women head chefs now lead 1 in 10 Michelin-starred restaurants in Korea, marking a symbolic crack in the industry’s long-standing glass ceiling even as stark gender gaps persist worldwide.

The newly released Michelin Guide Seoul and Busan 2026 lists a record 46 starred restaurants, of which five are helmed by women, or about 10.9 percent, up from three out of 40 last year. That makes 2026 the first year, based on available data, that women have crossed the 10 percent threshold among Korea’s Michelin-starred chefs.

At the global level, women remain badly outnumbered: A 2022 analysis of 2,286 Michelin-starred restaurants in 16 countries found only about 6 percent were led by women, with the figure still hovering between 5 and 10 percent in 2025.

Michelin’s own leadership has publicly acknowledged the imbalance.

“Where are the women? Too few women are leading kitchens, despite the fact that more and more of them are working in kitchens,” international director Gwendal Poullennec said at the 2024 French edition of the ceremony, calling it “a reality we deplore.” For every woman-led Michelin restaurant worldwide, there are roughly 16 run by men, and some countries have no women at the helm at all.

Chefs from restaurants in Seoul and Busan recognized by the Michelin Guide pose during the 10th anniversary ceremony held in Busan, March 5. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

In Korea, this makes the rise of chefs like Mitou’s Kim Bo-mi all the more significant. Trained in Japan after a student internship opened her eyes to kaiseki, a type of formal course menu, Kim built her career in traditional ryokan and Tokyo kitchens before returning home to co-found Mitou with chef Kwon Young-woon. The Gangnam restaurant, known for interpreting traditional kaiseki through Korea’s seasonal ingredients and industry-leading self-sufficiency system, this year earned two stars and a Green Star, the highest rating among women-led restaurants.

Chef Kim Hee-eun of Soul in Yongsan District, Seoul, brings a different narrative to the table. A former ceramics major from an artist family, she left home at 20 to attend culinary school, later winning gold and bronze at international competitions and working in major hotel kitchens. Her contemporary tasting menu, which freely crosses the borders of Korean and Western cuisine, has held one star since 2023 and recently gained global attention through Netflix’s “Culinary Class Wars,” where she showcased narrative-driven dishes built on everyday Korean ingredients.

Traditional Korean cuisine’s lineage is carried forward at Onjiam by chef Cho Eun-hee, a certified holder of Korea’s Important Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 38 for Joseon royal court cuisine. Having trained under culinary masters at the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine, Cho now leads a restaurant ranked among Asia’s 50 Best and the World’s 50 Best, while advising on state banquets and global Korean dining projects.

In Busan, chef Kim Ji-hye of Fiotto rebuilt her career after two restaurant closures during the pandemic and a battle with thyroid cancer, channeling her recovery into a fermentation-driven, farm-to-table philosophy that earned both a star and a Green Star.

In Seoul, GAGGEN by Choi Junho showcases the exacting Japanese training of chef Choi Hyeon-ah, who rose to kitchen head at three-star Kanda in Tokyo before opening her own seasonal kaiseki counter at home.

Despite their breakthroughs, many women chefs in Korea and abroad say they still face a layered glass ceiling that begins at entry-level kitchen roles and extends to top-tier awards.

Reports by international food media Chef’s Pencil and World Chefs show women make up a sizable share of culinary school graduates and kitchen staff, yet remain a tiny minority in the head chefs in fine dining due to rigid hierarchies, long hours that clash with caregiving expectations, and gender gaps in investment and media recognition.

Chinese cuisine chefs Jeong Ji-seon and Lee Moon-jung, who appeared on Netflix’s “Culinary Class Wars," have also spoken publicly about this uneven playing field, recalling years of being barred from core cooking stations, treated as “transparent” despite international medals or forced to hide pregnancies to keep their jobs.