Madame Cong's Beanstalk

An illustration of three experts' dream Korean-food restaurants ― a "pojangmacha" or street food vendor, a luxury bistro and a "tang" or soup house. / Illustration by Cho Seo-a

What Korea needs to globalize food

By Vivian Han

Large tour buses are everywhere in Seoul today. The influx of tourists in Bukchon, for example, has become so large, prompting complaints from residents. As a restaurant owner, I wonder what the tourists eat during their visit to Korea and what they think about Korean food.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization and the World Tourism Organization, Korea is the No. 6 tourism destination in Asia and No. 22 in the world. Some 82 percent of the tourists are from Asia, of whom 35.5 percent (4.32 million) are Chinese. Chinese tourists bring in over 13 trillion won to Korea, with the average Chinese tourist spending $2,272 during each visit. Small retailers benefit the most from tourists, earning 4.4 trillion won, but the food and accommodation industries earn 1.1 trillion won each as well.

But do these big numbers represent the tourists' level of satisfaction? Do tourists appreciate Korean cuisine enough to visit the country again? I asked three experts in the field of tourism to assess how we could maximize their culinary experience as well as to see how they would run their dream Korean restaurant.

Lee Cham, former head of the Korea Tourism Organization

It isn't an exaggeration to say Korea's culinary culture is still in its early stages. The food that Koreans enjoy has been developing continuously but is still lacking diversity. In other countries, increased income and consumption levels and the corresponding increase in wine consumption are the impetus for the development of culinary culture. However, Koreans are passionate about and thus, are becoming more aware of their nascent food culture, as shown by the growing number and readership of gourmet food and wine websites.

The food industry is an employment driver. In a relaxed regulatory environment, it will grow, not only in terms of producing food but as a professional industry. The government should provide dedicated support to this industry as much as it does to the IT industry. In addition, the industry needs to strengthen the marketing and publicity of restaurants that have a uniquely Korean taste and atmosphere.

My dream restaurant: House of Korean tang

Korean food is very creative. Each household has its own recipe and can adapt to different ingredients. The philosophy of Korean food is to benefit one's health. "Tang" (soups) that strengthen one's body, such as the chicken-based "samgyetang," the medicinal "shipjeon daebotang" and the duck tang, could be featured in restaurant menus.

Sam Koo, former head of Seoul Tourism Marketing Company

Tourists who come to Korea want to find authentic Korean food. The country has many interesting dishes, such as "bibimbap" or mixed rice with vegetables, grilled food "namul" or vegetables and "jeon" or grilled pancakes ranging from vegetables, fish and others, but they need to be promoted. For example, Japanese dishes such as sushi, shabu-shabu and tempura have become well-known and conspicuous around the world. Korean foods need to be promoted globally as well, and this can be done by opening up the market.

Koreans always look for Korean food when they are abroad, much like the Chinese do when they are abroad. You need to be able to offer Chinese tourists food that suits their tastes. But the market remains closed because of complicated import regulations for food ingredients, making it difficult for the Korean food industry to expand its market share.

A cosmopolitan culinary culture can emerge in Korea when restaurants showcase the uniqueness of various Korean regional foods.

My dream restaurant: "Pojangmacha"

Imagine a street lined with romantic street lights and clean, diverse "pojangmacha," a new concept for a restaurant that serves street food, showcasing their small-portion menus. In other countries, street food is the easiest way to understand a culture, but they do not follow hygiene standards. Spanish tapas or Japanese "izakayas" have become well-known globally, and Korean foods, especially, small-portion dishes such as namul, can become the same. Korea could show the diversity, cheerfulness and style of Korean cuisine through these street food restaurants.

Moon Young, manager of China Travel Service's inbound business

Domestic Chinese tourists number 3.2 billion and travel about 3-4 times a year. On the other hand, only 80 million Chinese travel abroad per year, with some 4 million traveling to Korea. Taking into account another 1.5 million travelers who fail to make it to Korea every year owing to lack of flights or accommodation, one can say the Korean tourism industry is going to grow rapidly. The Chinese value the act of eating, so if they have an enjoyable Korean culinary experience, they will most likely revisit the country. If the Korean tourism industry focuses on marketing to the Chinese, who value understanding a culture and have significant purchasing power, it can encourage Chinese tourists to spread the word about their positive experiences here. Unfortunately, Korean restaurants face many challenges, including insufficient parking spaces for tourist buses. The Korean government could implement some regulations to help restaurants address these issues. Restaurants also need to better publicize and market their food to the Chinese.

My dream restaurant: Luxury Korean bistro

Chinese VIPs don't have the same response to famous formal Korean restaurants that European tourists have. They find the courses too long and the amounts too small. On the other hand, casual Korean restaurants don't have sophisticated interiors to accommodate such tourists. Thus, restaurants that combine casual food and sleek interiors can be successful.

About Vivian Han

Vivian Han is the CEO of Congdu Food & Culture. She believes Korean food is changing and growing in tandem with modern Korean life and culture. She is a culture creator, showcasing modern Korean food and lifestyle that integrate the past, present and future.