Only 1 in 4 Believe "Korean Food Industrialization is Successful"… "Need to Train Foreign Chefs"

KCCI Plans to Propose to Government and Promote Joint Projects

Poster of SBS TV economic talk show 'Sikjadang' aired from August to September. Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, personally took charge as the 'Sikja Leader,' compiling the opinions of the Sikja group and leading the talk. Photo by Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] Only one in four people evaluated the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry's national development project, 'Korean Food (Hansik) Industrialization,' as "successful." The national development project is an initiative started by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry to seek private-sector solutions to structural problems our society faces in the post-COVID era.

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry conducted the 'Hansik Industrialization Idea Contest' using its own platform from September 10 to October 28 and announced the results on the 28th. A total of 182 people participated.

The proportion of positive responses regarding the globalization (international popularity) of Hansik exceeded half at 50.7% (42.1% good, 8.6% very good). Recently, Korean food franchise restaurants have gained popularity in places like New York, USA, Paris, France, and Shanghai, China, and exports of Korean food products such as dumplings and ramen have reached record highs, reflecting these achievements.

On the other hand, the perception was that industrialization of Hansik has not yet succeeded. When asked "To what extent has the industrialization (formation of industrial structure) of Hansik been successful?" only one in four respondents (20.4% good, 5.3% very good) answered "well done." Separate from the international popularity of Hansik, there is a sense of disappointment regarding the formation of value chains and industrial structures through Hansik.

When asked "To what extent will Hansik industrialization help national development in the future?" about 90% of respondents evaluated it as important. Reasons for the slow progress of Hansik industrialization overseas (multiple answers allowed) included "lack of awareness and promotion of Hansik" (48.3%), "non-standardization of names and cooking methods" (46.7%), and "difficulty in sourcing ingredients overseas" (33.5%). In particular, many expressed regret over the "lack of branding and storytelling of Hansik" and the "old-fashioned image of traditional Hansik," emphasizing the need for branding and image to promote Hansik internationally.

Regarding the question "What image should Hansik pursue externally?" (multiple answers allowed), the preferred images were "healthy and well-being food image" (69.1%), "young and hip image" (42.1%), "luxurious and calm image" (41.4%), and "distinctive image such as spiciness" (20.3%). In response, Kim Boseok, team leader at the Hansik Promotion Institute, said, "In the past, countries like Japan and Thailand succeeded in industrialization by forming clear images of their national cuisines," adding, "It is important for Hansik to be internationally recognized by applying specific branding and images."

This survey was conducted alongside a public idea contest to accelerate Hansik industrialization. After expert reviews from academia and related organizations, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry selected "Training foreign Hansik specialists" as the grand prize winner and "Overseas expansion plan for small-capital franchising" as the excellence award.

The grand prize-winning "Training foreign Hansik specialists" emphasized that true Hansik industrialization requires an increase in local Hansik restaurant startups by foreigners and proposed establishing Hansik specialized educational institutions overseas. The excellence award-winning "Overseas expansion plan for small-capital franchising" suggested providing benefits for domestic oversaturated food service self-employed individuals to expand overseas. The aim is to extend the activities of Hansik self-employed entrepreneurs abroad.

Jeong Hyunwoo (58, Songpa, Seoul), who won the grand prize, said, "I learned through watching the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry's national development project on TV that the Hansik industry is important," adding, "Just as Koreans open pho noodle shops and pizza places domestically, locals abroad should open ssambap (wrapped rice) and bibimbap restaurants for true Hansik industrialization." He also expressed hope that educational programs for training personnel overseas would be established.

Kang Minjae, team leader of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry's National Development Team, said, "As part of the national development project, citizens became stakeholders and directly proposed ideas for Hansik industrialization," adding, "In the future, to realize these ideas, we plan to conduct business feasibility analyses of the selected public ideas through experts, decide on business directions with an advisory group, and proceed with government recommendations and joint projects with related organizations."

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