Korean pop culture has spread rapidly abroad, especially in Asia, through the phenomenon called the "Korean Wave", or "Hallyu" in Korean. And now Korean dishes are broadening "Hallyu" by expanding their presence in the international arena.
A few years ago, many people around the world did not even know what kimchi was or where it came from, but this is not the case any more.
A variety of Korean foods are gaining global popularity, and the Korean government is out to further promote Korean food, or "Hansik", abroad.
Starting from next year, Korea's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry says it will spend 78 billion won, or roughly 8.7 billion dollars, over the next four years to globalize "Hansik".
It first plans to choose ten food items that can best represent Korea and promote them by creating standardized recipes for the items and distributing them at Korean restaurants overseas.
Also ministry officials are acknowledging the need to upgrade Korean restaurants abroad to instill a better image of Korean food. It will offer consultations on how to successfully manage the restaurants and how to cook tastier Korean dishes. Furthermore, the ministry will designate an institution in Korea to invite chefs and managers from Korean restaurants abroad for further training.
These are not the only plans. The government will utilize the media as well. It plans to produce TV commercials and documentaries about Korean food with the aim of airing them on foreign TV networks.
This plan to further globalize Korean food is in line with the government's ongoing efforts to create a second Korean Wave by promoting uniquely Korean attributes like traditional clothes and paper – "Hanbok" and "Hanji", respectively.
The term "Korean Wave" was initially coined in China to describe an upsurge of interest in Korean products, largely in areas of music and TV dramas. This new "wave" has since then reached far beyond the Chinese borders and into the households in many corners of Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
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