<New Delhi>

Korean Cultural Centre India announced photo and video contents of special contest about Korean Kimchi which is Korean representative wellbeing food reached over 1 million viewership (Facebook-201,851, Instagram-752,717, Youtube-45,909) within just 2 week through its online event to promote Kimjang(Kimchi making culture) which is UNESCO`s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and Kimchi, Korean representative well-being food.

The theme of this campaign event was ‘Know your Kimchi’, it was announced to send participants` content introducing Kimchi with open format, photo, video, etc just for one week registration period starting from 29<sup>th</sup> January to 7<sup>th</sup> February. 132 Indian people participated and sent their challenge & promotion contents about Kimchi with various formats like photos, videos, comics, poster, catch phrase. All the contents from the participants of the contest were posted on KCCI`s SNS channels and the total viewership of the contents had reached over 1 million till 14^th February which was announced as the deadline of viewership for winner selection. A prize money of 18,000 rupees has been announced for top the 3 winners based on the number of likes on their contents.

A participant whose name marked as Shifa Mariyam PKV sent video containing the process of making Kimchi in a quiet garden setting with sound of birds chirping in the background, cutting vegetables, cabbage, radish, carrot, green onion, the main ingredients of Kimchi, making the sauce in a clay pot over a burning furnace, and seasoning the cabbage with the red chilly sauce. It resembles Korean traditional way of making Kimchi very much.

Professor Kundu Ranojit from Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology who had coheld Fan India Online Korean Culinary Challenge celebrating Kimchi Day in 2020 with KCCI said, “The interest about Korea and Korean cuisine has been increasing to the students from cooking or catering field institute and to professional chefs all-over India. He said he liked Kimchi, representative Korean food, and he understood that Kimchi is a Korean national identity food which reminds of hometown, homecountry to Koreans as curry or dal does to Indian. 

Hwang, Il-yong, director of Korean Cultural Centre India said “I appreciate Indian people`s continuous love for Korea and Kimchi and I am surprised with the heated response for the Kimchi promotion content made by our Indian fans reaching 1 million viewership. I am happy this event could become flash point to promote Kimjang which is UNESCO`s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and Kimchi more widely, and looking forward to hold our 2^nd All India Korean Culinary Challenge celebrating ‘Kimchi Day’ in this November.”    

※ representative video link - https://www.instagram.com/p/CK_bYiaH82s/

# Attachments :

1.      Reference about Kimchi

Reference(about Kimchi)

Kimchi (/ˈkɪmtʃiː/; Korean: 김치, romanized: gimchi, IPA: [kim.tɕʰi]), a staple in Korean cuisine, is a traditional side dish of salted and fermented vegetables. It is made with a widely varying selection of seasonings including gochugaru (chili powder), spring onions, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal (salted seafood), etc. It is also used in a variety of soups. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with different vegetables as the main ingredients.

The History of Kimchi can go back to 57 BC in Korea, Silla dynasty according to Samguk Sagi, a historical record of the Three kingdoms of Korea. During the Silla dynasty (57 BC – AD 935), kimchi became prevalent as Buddhism caught on throughout the nation and fostered a vegetarian lifestyle.

Kimchi is considered as global super food like curry in India which contains a high concentration of dietary fiber, while being low in calories. The vegetables used in kimchi also contribute to intake of vitamin A, thiamine (B₁), riboflavin (B₂), calcium, and iron. Many credit the Korean Miracle in part to eating the dish. By daily regular consumption of Kimchi can maintain health, fitness, and even immune system. During the 2003 SARS, and 2015 MERS outbreak in Asia, many people believed that kimchi could protect against infection.

Kimjang, the tradition of making and sharing of kimchi that usually takes place in late autumn, Korea, was added to the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013 as "Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea". The practice of Kimjang reaffirms Korean identity and strengthens family cooperation. Kimjang is also an important reminder for many Koreans that human communities need to live in harmony with nature.