[SAVOR KOREA (6)] A 7-step guide to globalizing Korean food

Every government rallies with the private sector to support its traditional cuisines. In Korea, the effort to globalize traditional dishes began with the government`s official declaration of "Hansik Globalization" in October 2008. Now the mission of globalizing hansik has emerged as one of the most valuable propositions in creating a new value-added rural economy, sharing growth with the tourism industry.

The global food industry is reported to be bigger that of the information technology industry by 5.6 times, and the automobile industry by 2.5 times as of 2008. And considering that hansik is almost unknown outside of Korea, the potential for growth is huge.

To this end, we need to accept multiple points of view in diverse areas. An attempt has been made at singling out and consolidating them into valuable ideas, which is as follows.

First, strategies concerning food globalization, localization, standardization, or opening food franchises need to build on the strong foundation of "tradition and authenticity" of hansik. The standardized hansik needs to be seasoned with diverse tastes and fragrances appealing to the local people of the targeted foreign market. Meeting the highest standards of hygiene and safety are also important for improving the quality and image of Korean food.



Second, we need to place much emphasis on the health benefits and promote those factors in a strategic way, which could include character development and program production. International and national seminars, exhibitions, and other events jointly hosted by the industry sector, academic fields, government and institutions would also help promote information on hansik and raise awareness.

Third, we need to introduce Korean cuisine in combination with other cultural elements to appeal to the foreign community. Traditional dishes are an important part of a culture, reflecting the everyday life and spirit of a nation. Thus, serving our foods in artistic dinnerware exuding cultural elements, as well as reflecting historical details associated with the certain dish could be a more effective strategy.

Fourth, we need to foster food professionals - keen people with the ability to speak foreign languages fluently and who can guide hansik in the international market and keep track of the global trends. They should also have the capacity to improve the competitiveness of Korean restaurants at home and abroad. To this end, we need intensive programs to educate and train the owners of Korean restaurants, as well as the chefs, and encourage them to advance into the overseas market. In addition, more Korean restaurants should be established in upscale hotels across the nation here in Korea.

Fifth, we need to come up with measures to leverage international cooperation systems, diplomatic offices overseas, overseas Koreans, and private missions. Word-of-mouth promotion by foreign hansik enthusiasts would be more effective than promotion efforts made at the government level.

Sixth, we need to thoroughly research and examine food-related regulations or restrictions of our trading partners to clarify the methods and measures that could be applied to overcome export barriers. By doing so, we would be able to provide useful information and recommendations on trade. Furthermore, we need to position hansik as a health food and emphasize the value of fermented and vegetable-rich dishes.

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Finally, we need to upgrade the systematic research and development plan to globalize our traditional cuisine successfully. To conduct in-depth research and development, we need to focus on the collection of data pertaining to the food culture and preferences of other countries, while considering the history and health value of hansik. We need to document Korean dishes and food culture scattered across the nation. Achieving this would make it easier to disseminate the information around the world.

In this respect, the Rural Development Administration has published "Local Korean Traditional Cuisines," a compilation of local dishes from nine provinces made throughout a period of eight years. The data is available in book form and on the internet.

The publication also features recipes, a glossary, and related cultural and historical stories in order to underscore the commercial value of hansik.

In the area of traditional alcohol, the Rural Development Administration is planning to launch a project to restore various types of age-old liquor and standardize their brewing methods to debut them on the global stage.

Moreover, the Rural Development Administration is conducting research on the medicinal value of hansik in collaboration with overseas institutions in the United States and the Netherlands, as well as Korean hospitals and universities. It is making efforts to identify the qualitative features of indigenous agricultural resources and their nutritional and functional value, as well as traditional fermented foods like kimchi.

Our institution is also seeking to organize scientific and standardized cooking and brewery methods, which is necessary for the successful establishment of our traditional dishes on the global stage.

In this way, the RDA will continue to be the central institution to manage and explore the processing, distribution and consumption of traditional dishes in order to achieve the goal of globalizing hansik.





Kim Jae-soo is administrator of the Rural Development Administration. - Ed.



By Kim Jae-soo