First lady attends 1st Nat'l Kimchi Day event, hails cultural heritage

All News 17:51 November 20, 2020

SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Yonhap) -- First lady Kim Jung-sook attended the inaugural National Kimchi Day celebration held Friday, while promising to help preserve Korea's beloved cultural heritage.

Kim attended a ceremony hosted by the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation and a kimchi-themed cooking contest at THE PLAZA Seoul hotel in central Seoul.

Kimchi Day, which falls on Nov. 22, is the sole food-themed national day in South Korea. It was established in February.

"I hope that increased exports of kimchi will help stabilize the incomes of vegetable farmers," Kim said in an address at the ceremony, according to Cheong Wa Dae deputy spokesperson Lim Se-eun.

Kim added, "Along with K-pop, kimchi is loved by people around the world as a K-food, and (I) will help preserve the heritage of taste with pride, as (Korea is) the country of origin for kimchi."

The first lady noted that kimchi is widely considered a health food and that its fermentation quality has garnered attention, especially amid the new coronavirus pandemic.

At the kimchi contest, the first lady met with participants and observed processes of making various kimchi-themed delicacies, including unique kimchi desserts and sauces.

"President Moon Jae-in can't have a single meal without kimchi, and to Koreans, kimchi is an essential food," she said.