Chef-turned Jeong Wono, Seongdong-gu Mayor, Challenges Making 'Rose Pasta'

Online Cooking Experience Event to Comfort COVID-19 via Zoom and YouTube Live on the Morning of the 28th Last Month... Making Ros? Pasta with Jung Won-oh, Seongdong-gu Mayor, and Chef Lee Jin-hyung Remotely with Over 200 Families

District Mayor Jeong Won-oh is talking with the host at the event held via real-time live broadcast.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] “Chef Jeong, please take good care of making pasta today.”

On the morning of the 28th of last month, Jeong Won-o, the mayor of Seongdong-gu, made a surprise appearance as a chef in the large auditorium on the 3rd floor of the Seongdong District Office. Wearing a white chef’s coat and a brown apron, Mayor Jeong said, “When I lived alone, I often cooked and showed it to my wife,” proudly displaying his long-hidden cooking skills.

Mayor Jeong and about 200 families used pre-prepared meal kits to make rose pasta and enjoyed their own “mukbang.” Families gathered online also shared their unique pasta recipes. From the Hyowon family who added scorched rice to their dish, to recipes including corn, cheese balls, and turmeric powder, a variety of distinctive ideas poured in. While chatting together, Mayor Jeong suggested, “It would be a delicacy to add handmade sujebi (Korean dough flakes) to the rose pasta sauce,” engaging joyfully with the families in real time. The lively laughter continued for about an hour.

The event was conducted in the same format as the popular TV program “Baek Father” by a broadcasting company. Although social distancing measures prevented gathering in person, about 200 families who pre-registered participated together via ZOOM and YouTube channels on a large LED screen. In these difficult times due to COVID-19, the event was planned to provide a time to comfort and communicate with each other by cooking together online.

The event also featured Lee Jin-hyung, Korea’s top pizza chef, who was awarded 1st place at the “Italy Rome Pizza World Cup.” Chef Lee shared various cooking tips from the origin of pasta to plating methods, and even demonstrated “Frittata,” an Italian-style omelet, on the spot. The fun continued with AI robot group dances and quiz events at the Seongdong 4th Industrial Revolution Experience Center.

“Delicious Home Life, Cooking Talk” was hosted by the Seongdong Innovation Education District Parent Committee. Lee Eun-young (42), the head of the parent committee, said, “These days, everyone is struggling due to COVID-19, but seeing the participating families so happy makes me feel that planning this event was truly worthwhile and rewarding.”

Since being designated as an Innovation Education District in 2016, Seongdong-gu has been realizing a new education model where the local community and schools cooperate. This year, under the goal of “The Whole Village is a School,” innovative projects were swiftly implemented to respond to changes in the online environment caused by COVID-19. Forty-three village instructors composed of residents received training in online content production skills, and 80 local teachers were matched one-on-one with video production experts to support online class filming and learning material production using the equipment and technology of the Seongdong 4th Industrial Revolution Experience Center. Twenty parents participated in professional practical courses on smartphone and video device shooting and editing to help them grow as individual creators.

In addition, eight organizations and resident groups directly planned and operated 22 programs including sports and career guidance, and established an education cooperation system between schools and villages utilizing various local resources such as 4th Industrial Revolution technology education including 3D makers linked with the Seongdong 4th Industrial Revolution Center.

Jeong Won-o, mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “I am confident that even the crisis of COVID-19 can be overcome if the entire local community becomes teachers for our children and unites their hearts.” He added, “Next year, we will further enrich the Innovation Education District project, centered on public-private-academic governance, to promote co-growth between schools and the entire local community.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.