The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Minister Choi Hwi-young held the first "K-Food Global Expansion Advisory Meeting" on the afternoon of the 14th at the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to seek ways to expand Korean cuisine and food culture overseas.
The meeting included Hwang Kyo-ik, president of the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute; Lee Kyu-min, chairman of the Korean Food Promotion Institute; actor Ryu Su-young; Baek Heon-seok, CEO of ELTV; and Jung Yu-jin, head of CJ CheilJedang's food service business division.
"Korean cuisine goes beyond simple food to embody Korean culture and spread its appeal as an important medium," Choi said that day, according to the ministry. "Drawing on the valuable insights from this meeting, we will actively support the continued global expansion of Korean cuisine as cultural content enjoyed by people around the world."
Among those gathered that day, Hwang was known as a so-called "food columnist" before being appointed president of the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute this past April. Actor Ryu is a Korean cuisine evangelist who also goes by "Eonam Seonsaeng." Baek is active as one of Korea's leading producers specializing in food culture. The Korean Food Promotion Institute is a public institution under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
According to the Culture Ministry, the advisory meeting examined the current status of K-Food, a key element in achieving "400 trillion won in K-Culture by 2030," and discussed policy directions for the international expansion of Korean food culture.
Meeting participants said that interest in and favorable sentiment toward K-Food are rising as K-Culture spreads and the national brand improves, and that seizing this opportunity requires an active government role in expanding K-Food from a cultural perspective.
In particular, they presented various ideas, including cultivating world-class Korean cuisine experts, expanding diverse channels for promoting Korean food culture, and collaborating with overseas culinary education institutions and renowned chefs.
