Modern eating habits are definitely changing in South Korea:
Koreans are consuming significantly less kimchi than in the past despite the surge in global popularity of the country’s signature side dish, data showed Sunday.
According to a joint study by researchers from Chung-Ang University, Jeju National University, and the World Institute of Kimchi, the proportion of Koreans who reported eating no kimchi within the past 24 hours jumped from 11.7 percent in 2010 to 22.7 percent in 2024.
Korea Times
You can read more at the link.
Family members of U.S. service members stationed in South Korea learn how to make kimchi, the Korean traditional dish made of cabbage and chili pepper paste, at a community center in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 14, 2015. (Yonhap)
Filipino actress Jessy Mendiola tastes kimchi during a publicity event in Seoul on May 1, 2015, to make the traditional fermented Korean dish made of seasoned vegetables in this photo released by food maker Pulmuone. Mendiola, designated as a tourism ambassador for South Korea, represents Korea’s culture through a popular TV program in the Philippines. (Yonhap)
You can tell Ambassador Lippert is playing to the crowd while he recovers:
Doctors at Yonsei University Severance Hospital said Sunday that U.S. Ambassador to Korea Mark Lippert is recovering fast and may go home as early as Tuesday afternoon.
“Ambassador Lippert feels overwhelmed by the messages of support for him,” the embassy’s minister-counselor for public affairs, Robert W. Ogburn, said during a press conference. “The ambassador said kimchi is helping him recover.”
Dr. Yoon Do-heum, the head of the hospital, said during a media briefing that the 80 stitches Lippert received for a facial injury would be removed today, and the pain in his left wrist was easing. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link such as Ambassador Lippert saying he is reading the “Two Koreas” by Don Oberdorfer while he is recovering. This book in my opinion is the best modern Korean history 101 book out there. With that said I would of thought that Lippert would of read this book before becoming Ambassador? Either that or is he just playing to the crowd again?
