The government has announced its plan to expand the global Korean cuisine industry to a scale of 300 trillion won by 2027. The strategy involves increasing the number of overseas Korean restaurants to 15,000 and more than tripling the number of Michelin-starred Korean restaurants compared to the current figure. The goal is to nurture Korean cuisine as a leading industry in the global gourmet trend.
On Feb. 2, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) announced the “Global Competitiveness Enhancement Strategy for the Korean Cuisine Industry.” With “bibimbap” securing the top spot in recipe searches on Google last year, Korean cuisine has firmly positioned itself as a representative content in the Hallyu, or Korean wave. The plan aims to foster the growth of both the domestic and international Korean cuisine industry and market.
In particular, the government aims to increase the total revenue of domestic and international Korean restaurants from the 2021 level of 152 trillion won (US$114 billion) to 300 trillion won by 2027. The target also includes expanding the number of Michelin-starred Korean restaurants from 31, as it was last year, to 100. Additionally, the plan involves growing the number of overseas Korean restaurants from 9,923 in 2020 to 15,000 by 2027.
To achieve this, the government, including MAFRA, has committed to three main strategies: strengthening the infrastructure of the Korean cuisine industry, enhancing the value of Korean cuisine, and expanding the ecosystem of the Korean cuisine industry.
MAFRA, especially, plans to designate the top 1 percent of Korean restaurants worldwide, a total of 100 establishments, as “Outstanding Overseas Korean Restaurants.” In the domestic market, the ministry intends to operate a restaurant service rating system evaluating factors such as food quality and hygiene. Additionally, initiatives include increasing the deemed input tax deduction limit for duty-free agricultural products until December 2025 by 10 percentage points, expanding support for joint procurement of domestically produced ingredients, and easing employment regulations in the restaurant industry.
To promote gourmet tourism, the government has decided to launch a pilot operation of “K-Food Gourmet Belts” this year with the goal of establishing 15 locations by 2027. The K-Food Gourmet Belts will be themed around fermentation culture, traditional and trendy Korean cuisine, and seasonal dining, integrating the first to third industries in the process.
Furthermore, MAFRA plans to expand the current five specialized Korean cuisine training institutions to eight by 2027. It will also aim to collaborate with private food companies and provide young chefs with internship opportunities at Michelin-starred Korean restaurants. The ministry has announced plans to open regular Korean cooking courses within internationally renowned culinary schools, starting with two locations this year and expanding to five by 2027.
Additionally, MAFRA has chosen “Adventurous Table” as the brand keyword for Korean cuisine. It plans to finalize and unveil the brand logo in the first half of the year. Furthermore, it will select and promote ten Korean culinary terms written in the Korean language as part of its promotional efforts.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to elevate and institutionalize the “Korean Cuisine Industry Development Consultative Body,” composed of private experts, relevant ministries, and affiliated agencies, to ministerial-level meetings starting this year to facilitate the smooth advancement of this plan. “We will make an all-out policy effort to help the Korean food industry ride the Korean Wave and then establish its footing as a setter of mega-trends in the global gourmet market,” said Agriculture Minister Song Mir-yung.