Government looks to double K-food industry to $227 billion by 2027

Korean cuisine at Cote, a restaurant located in New York [COTE]

The Korean government has set the target of doubling the size of the Korean food industry to 300 trillion won ($226.5 billion) by 2027 from the 152 trillion won tallied in 2021.

As part of the plan, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is eyeing a 51 percent expansion in the number of overseas Korean restaurants, to over 15,000 by 2027 from 9,923 establishments in 2020. The Ministry hopes the count of Michelin-starred Korean restaurants will reach 100 by 2027 from the existing 31.

To enhance culinary tourism in Korea, the ministry is developing comprehensive tour packages that intertwine agriculture with themes such as fermentation culture, traditional Korean cuisine, seasonal dishes and trending culinary delights. For instance, under the traditional liquor theme, immersive tourism experiences encompassing the entire food culture journey, from ingredient production sites (rice) to breweries, hands-on brewing experiences, and the narratives of producers, are being created. The plan includes introducing a trial agriculture-gourmet tourism package this year, followed by a total of 15 by 2027 and 30 by 2032.

The ministry will expand educational programs, allowing both culinary students and current practitioners to participate, in a bid to nurture expertise in Korean culinary professionals. The goal is to increase the number of education recipients from 250 to 600 by 2027.

The ministry aims to provide internship opportunities at Michelin-star Korean restaurants for aspiring young chefs. Plans are under way to introduce regular Korean culinary courses at five international culinary schools — without specifying the names — by 2027, starting with two this year.

The ministry is working to promote key Korean culinary terms, including gim (dried seaweed), makgeolli (Korean rice wine), and galbi (marinated ribs), and introduce globally in the original language. The selection process takes into account factors such as international preferences, industry significance, and input from experts, with the final 10 terms to be decided later.

On the event front, Korea is gearing up to host the "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants" international gastronomic event from March 24 to 26. The ministry is working toward establishing the global conference on Korean cuisine hosted by the Korean Food Promotion Institute, aiming to make it into an annual event with invitations extended to culinary experts from various corners of the world.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]