“Kwangju World Kimchi Festival:: the best-ever Kimchi-making experience in the nation"
Korea’s kimchi is one of world 5 health foods, according to experts. In that
regard, it is very noteworthy that Kwangju Metropolitan City, South
Jeolla Provice in the Republic of Korea has been hosting Kwangju
World Kimchi Festival among cities in the nation since 1994 to
promote a primate city’s image for kimchi on the peninsular and
to disseminate Korea’s kimchi globally.
Welcome ceremony for the visiting diplomatic community members at the Kwangju Metropolitan City Hall. (Mayor Yoon is being surrounded by diplomatic community) |
Without exception, Kwangju Metropolitan City and its Kimchi
Industrialization Business Agency (CEO: Moon O-kwon) invited
over 40 senior diplomats from the Seoul Diplomatic Corps to
the opening ceremony last week to Kwangju so that they can
experience the taste of Kwangju kimchi and last but not least
they can learn how to make kimchi for themselves.
Sebang battery factory visit as part of industrial inspection located in Kwangsan district, Kwangju. |
As part of their industrial inspection, diplomatic community
members visited SEBANG GLOBAL BATTERY Co.,Ltd which has
led the battery industry in Korea with the brand of ‘Rocket’ for
over half century since the establishment in 1952. Through this
industrial field trip, diplomatic community members were able to
see that SEBANG Global Battery has put forth its strength to the
continuous management innovation corresponding to the rapid
changing market environment, and has concentrated ceaseless
efforts to the technology development in order to produce the best product.
Group photo in front of the Kwangju Metropolitan City main building. (Kwangju Parliamentary Council chairman Lee Eun-bang poses with diplomatic community members) |
Honorable Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun from the Kwangju Metropolitan City was very aggressive
for welcoming diplomatic community members than ever by
hosting a welcome ceremony at the city hall while chairman Lee Een-bang from the Kwangju Metropolitan City Council and Kwangju City’s senior officials were on hand. At the Lobby, Mayor Yoon prepared
a lovely luncheon for the diplomatic community members who
included Mme. Lyudmila Fen from the Embassy of Uzbekistan,
commercial attaches & defense attaches from many Embassies in Seoul.
Gwangju Metropolitan City mayor honorable Yoon Jang-hyun (right) offering to taste Kimchi to Floor Leader Kim Dong-chul. (Courtesy: Gwangju Metropolitan City) |
Mrs. Snezhanka Panova family after compounding Kimchi at the Kwangju Kimchi Town. |
Before the gorgeous official opening ceremony, diplomatic
community members experienced compounding kimchi in the
Kwangju Kimchi Town which was able to bring to home later. The
official opening ceremony which was held on 2 pm at the Kwangju
Kimchi Town, served as a good opportunity to herald that Kwangju
World Kimchi Festival will greet its 25th anniversary next year as
well as South Jeolla Province was founded 1,000 years ago while
many VIPs and invited distinguished guests over 300 were on hand
including honorable Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun from the Kwangju Metropolitan City, chairman Lee Eun-bang from Kwangju Metropolitan City Parliamentary Council,
deputy mayor from Japan Sendai City & Floor Leader Kim Dong-chul
from the People’s Party.
Here as well once again, the fact that kimchi is a valuable one of
world 5 health foods was confirmed by speeches from the Kwangju
Metropolitan City, Parliamentary Council chairman and People’s
Party Floor Leader etc.
Official opening ceremony's performances to herald the start of the 24th Kwangju World Kimchi Festival. |
First of all, Mayor Yoon stressed that Kwangju World Kimchi
Festival is being reborn as a coexistence festival between Kwangju
Metropolitan City and citizens, contributing to the income increase
of farmers among others. Above all, Yoon attracted attention by
stating that Kwangju World Kimchi Festival will mark its 25th
edition next year as well as South Jeolla Province was founded 1,000 years ago.
In that sense, Mayor Yoon said he sincerely hopes that Kwangju
World Kimchi Festival would serve as a good opportunity for
citizens’ harmony so that they can feel traditional culture’s taste in Kwangju, hometown of taste.
Visit of the World Institute of Kimchi. |
Committee chairman Park Heung-seok of the 24th Kwangju World Kimchi Festival Organizing
Committee declared the official opening, adding Kwangju World
Kimchi Festival will link millennium’s taste as a suzerain city of kimchi.
Agricultural Minister Kim Young-rok sent a message emphasizing
that he firmly believes
Kwangju World Kimchi Festival will awaken the world citizens Kwangju
Kimchi is a worldwide wellbeing food.
From the Kwangju Metropolitan City’s Parliamentary Council,
chairman Lee Eun-bang underlined that the Council will not spare any supports so
that Kwangju World Kimchi Festival can be industrializede to
publicize the excellence of Kwangju Kimchi globally.
Asia Culture Center visit |
After watching a variety of congratulatory performances at the
Kimchi Town, diplomatic community members dropped by World
Institute of Kimchi tasked with the duty of contributing to the
globalization of Kimchi through comprehensive R&D, fermentation
and distribution technologies, relevant tests and evaluations, and
technological support.
Through the Institute’s briefing, General Director Jaeho Ha, Ph.D said
that we produced an
array of results after establishment, including applications for a patent
[103], registration [51], research papers [212(114 SCI) [E]], signing of technology transfer contracts [12] etc.
This year’s participants from diplomatic community said unanimously that
the visit programs of the 24th Kwangju World Kimchi Festival were
even more fruitful compared with last year.
After the tour of the World Kimchi Institute, diplomatic community
members visited The Asia Culture Center as A Window of Asian
Culture facing the World.
ACC tour guide introduced: “Having the context of artistically
sublimating the significance of the May 18th Democratic Movement’s human rights and peace as its point of departure, the ACC, which
opened in November 2015, is a Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism–affiliated institution established for the advancement of mutual
understanding and cooperative growth with different Asian countries
through exchange, education, research, and other efforts with regard
to Asian culture.”
During their field tour to the ACC, diplomatic community members
were able to see that the ACC plays the role of an integrated platform
for participants from Asia and the rest of the world to freely unite
and exchange their ideas while transcending boundaries in carrying
out the steps of research, creation, and production.
As their last visit destination, diplomatic community members
dropped by Song Jeong night market which provided them with
an unique opportunity to see Kwangju’s peculiar night market landscape. Through a dinner held in a
nearby restaurant, CEO Moon O-kwon from the Kwangju World
Kimchi Business Agency asked for the Diplomatic Community
Members to play a leading role for publicizing Kwangju Kimchi’s
excellence to the world.
Kwangju World Kimchi Festival which promises to be the best-ever
Kimchi-making experience in the nation, is continued until Sunday (Nov. 19th).