Latest news with #non-Koreans
Eater
21-05-2025
- Business
- Eater
How Carmel's Only Korean Restaurant Kicked Its Dining Scene Up a Notch
At Jeju Kitchen, the dining room hums with the sounds of sizzling stone bowls of bibimbap and the slurping of dark black, savory jajangmyeon noodles. It's a casual, stylish restaurant in the heart of buzzy Carmel Plaza that infuses Korean flavors into bar bites and upscale dishes. Ashley Wolff opened Jeju Kitchen in December 2023, and being the only Korean restaurant in Carmel, she's become an ambassador of sorts for this cuisine in the city. The people of Carmel were quick to jump on board, and the restaurant has since been recommended by Michelin, the New York Times , and Forbes . Wolff's enticing menu features her creations, such as gochujang-loaded tater tots, Korean barbecue wings, and kimchi macaroni and cheese. A fan favorite is the crispy arancini filled with kimchi fried rice and molten cheese. The fun textural contrast of arancini — an initial crunch from the exterior, the chewiness of the rice, and the gooeyness of the cheese — is enhanced by the addition of kimchi, which provides some freshness and funkiness. While Jeju Kitchen is a relatively new restaurant, the concept for Wolff's Korean fusion restaurant has been brewing since her high school days working at her mom's coffee shop, Carmel Coffee and Cocoa Bar. Carmel didn't have many Asian restaurants at the time, so her mom started selling rice plates and noodles alongside coffee and pastries. Her mom sold the coffee shop in 2018 to retire, but she surprised Wolff shortly after with the news that she bought a restaurant, Grill on Ocean Avenue. It was a proud moment for her mother, who had been denied a job as a busser at that same restaurant years ago because she wasn't yet fluent in English. Wolff's mother added Korean short ribs, kimchi stew, and glass noodles to the menu. Wolff was initially hesitant about her mother's addition of Korean fare to an otherwise American menu. She wondered if any non-Koreans would really eat kimchi stew for breakfast. To her surprise, the dishes sold really well. The restaurant was sold a few years ago, but the experience left Wolff with the desire to open her own restaurant. Wolff was working in marketing for food festivals and restaurants when the opportunity to take over Carmel Burger Bar presented itself. It's only a few steps away from her mother's former coffee shop. She revamped the space with sleek booths and overhauled the menu. 'I wanted to go hard on Korean,' says Wolff, 'We've learned twice that people gravitate toward it.' She knew that it would be a lot of work — especially going through the lengthy process of making kimchi from scratch. She did, however, keep a handful of burgers on the menu. 'A lot of people come here thinking that they're coming to a Korean restaurant,' says Wolff. 'I'm not a Korean restaurant, I'm Korean fusion. I really want Jeju to mirror me.' Wolff was born in Seoul but only lived there for a year before moving to the United States. As the oldest child, she grew up helping out a lot in the kitchen and quickly learned her mother's recipes. The menu at Jeju reflects her dining table as a Korean American. The kimchi macaroni and cheese, for example, draws inspiration from the cheesy pasta dishes from her childhood and the quintessential Korean ferment. It's bright, funky, and rich. 'There's so much food that's on our menu that I got made fun of for as a kid,' says Wolff, 'My mom would pack kimchi soup for my lunch. Now, everyone thinks it's cool — everyone is eating kimchi because it's a probiotic.' Wolff is planning on digging into her Colombian roots from her father's side in her upcoming brunch menu. She's also cooking up new dishes like a Korean smash burger that she describes as the baby of kimchi mac and cheese and a Big Mac. There are also fusion dishes on the menu inspired by other Asian cuisines — like the cloud-like, aromatic Thai tea tiramisu. Or the creamy miso cacio e pepe made with mafaldine, miso butter, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Jeju Kitchen is still in its early stages — in fact, the 'Jeju Kitchen' sign just went up this April. Thankfully, Wolff has her mom, an experienced restaurant owner, to impart wisdom as needed. Lessons include making the most of each ingredient to eliminate waste and crafting a menu that is sincerely her own. Most of all, she models her mother's work ethic, citing how she would jump in and wash the dishes at her own restaurant when needed. Her mom helps out at Jeju Kitchen by making the kimchi and the restaurant's tropical fruit drinks like strawberry lemonade and mango pineapple punch. While running a restaurant is a lot of hard work, Wolff finds it highly rewarding. 'This is my kid,' says Wolff, 'I tell people, 'We have our two front teeth now.'' Jeju Kitchen (106 Carmel Center Place, Carmel-By-The-Sea) is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Sign up for our newsletter.
Korea Herald
14-04-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
3 of 10 dead, missing sailors are foreign: data
Government data showed Monday that 29.6 percent of all fishing boat crew that died or went missing here last year were non-Koreans, sparking calls to ensure the safety of foreign sailors in the country. A total of 118 crew members went dead or missing while working on fishing boats in 2024, 35 of whom were foreign nationals, according to data provided by the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives. The number of foreign sailors who went missing or died at sea went from 16 in 2019 -- the first year the government started tallying the figure -- to 13 in 2023, but shot up last year. It was reported that a total of 14,819 foreigners worked as sailors on fishing boats last year, up from 12,600 in 2018. South Korea has had a number of maritime accidents that claimed the lives of multiple foreign sailors. An onboard fire at a fishing boat in waters off the coast of Buan-gun, North Jeolla Province, left seven dead or missing, five of whom were foreigners. Two Indonesian sailors went missing in the November capsizing and sinking of a fishing boat in waters off Jeju Island, which is thought to have occurred because the ship was carrying too much fish. In response to the rising number of foreign sailors' deaths, the Oceans Ministry has launched a task force on safety measures. This includes reinforcing safety education for foreigners. The NFFC has been providing nonmandatory safety education for foreigners since 2020, recipient of which went from 324 in 2020 to 3,908 last year.
Korea Herald
10-03-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Choco Pie's global success explained in 2 minutes
Choco Pie, a round cake-like snack with a marshmallow filling and chocolate coating, is the brainchild of South Korean confectionery maker Orion. Branded with the Chinese character for "jeong" — a deep sense of affection and hospitality — the proiduct carries a distinct Korean essence that embodies the core value of sharing love. Now, far beyond its homeland, the treat has won over more non-Koreans, selling more overseas than in the birthplace of jeong. 1956: Lee Yang-gu founded Orion, originally named Dongyang Confectionery, after acquiring the Japanese-owned PungGuk Confectionery. 1957: Orion introduced Korea's first modern candy manufacturing facility, launching gum, candy, and biscuit products in the post-war era. 1974: Choco Pie debuted in blue packaging, achieving 1 billion won ($692,000) in first-year sales. 1989: The product was rebranded from Choco Pie to Choco Pie Jeong, with the addition of the Chinese character for "jeong" on the packaging. 1996: Choco Pie became the first single snack product in Korea to exceed 5 billion won in monthly sales. 2023: Choco Pie topped the list of chocolate cake products in the domestic retail market with 8.7 billion won in sales, followed by Haitai's Oh Yes and Lotte's Mongshell cake, according to data from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. Russia was the first country to import Choco Pie in 1993, and accounted for around 40 percent of the snack's global sales last year. The first overseas plant was established in China in 1997. Since then, Orion has actively targeted global markets, building factories in Vietnam, Russia and India. Since 2007, Choco Pie's overseas revenue has outpaced domestic sales. Today, Choco Pie is sold in over 60 countries, in 24 different variations. Last year, marking the snack's 50th anniversary, Orion sold over 4 billion units of Choco Pie, combining both domestic and international sales. This accounts for 8 percent of the snack's total sales over five decades, which have reached around 50 billion units. Since its launch, Choco Pie has generated cumulative revenue exceeding 8.1 trillion won, with approximately 67 percent, or 5.5 trillion won, stemming from overseas markets. Orion achieved record-high sales in 2024, reporting 3.1 trillion won in annual revenue and 543.6 billion won in operating profit, driven by the success of Choco Pie and other flagship products. Both sales and operating profits saw on-year increases of 6.6 percent and 10.4 percent, respectively. Orion aims to maintain its international success with Choco Pie leading its portfolio, backed by subsidiaries in China, Vietnam, Russia and India. While introducing Choco Pie variations tailored to regional preferences abroad, Orion plans to expand its production and logistics facilities this year in Korea, Vietnam and Russia -- with a particular emphasis on boosting Choco Pie production capacity in Russia. minmin@
Korea Herald
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
83% of South Koreans have never had chance to really get to know a foreign national: survey
Despite growing foreign population, 70% of Koreans lack cultural diversity awareness Only one in six South Koreans have had any kind of meaningful interaction with a person from outside the country, while seven out of 10 say they have little to no understanding of what cultural diversity means, a new study shows. According to the first-ever 2024 Cultural Diversity Survey, released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Thursday, only 16.8 percent of respondents have ever engaged with foreign nationals in their lifetime, despite South Korea's growing population of international residents. About 4.8 percent of the country's population consists of foreign residents, with their number now surpassing 2.46 million, as of the 2024 census. The 16.8 percent of respondents who did engage with non-Koreans said their contact was mainly with foreign workers (44.8 percent), marriage migrants (25.5 percent), and foreign students (24.9 percent), among others. The survey, which was conducted on 5,000 South Koreans, also shows that just 27.3 percent are familiar with the concept of cultural diversity, while 38.1 percent admit they have no idea what it means. The remaining 34.6 percent said they have heard of the term but know little about it. The survey aimed to approximate South Korea's aging demographics, though not perfectly, with the largest share of respondents in their 20s (24.2 percent) and strong representation from those in their 50s (19.1 percent), 40s (17.1 percent), 60s (15.8 percent) and 70s or older (15.3 percent). Teens aged 15 to 19 accounted for only 4.1 percent. The study defines cultural diversity as respecting differences in race, religion, values, lifestyles, gender and age while ensuring equal access to diverse cultural expressions and content. Diverse cultures struggle for visibility in Korea Another key indicator of cultural engagement is media consumption, which strongly influences perceptions of diversity. The survey found that local audiences overwhelmingly enjoy domestic entertainment ― a contrast to how K-pop and K-dramas are becoming more popular with overseas audiences. Over 85 percent of respondents said they regularly watch Korean popular media, compared to 60 percent who said they regularly consume content from other countries. In music, while 72.1 percent of respondents said they listen to Korean pop music, only 56 percent reported listening to non-Korean artists. This gap is most pronounced in the fine arts, with only 23.4 percent of respondents having ever attended a performance or exhibition featuring work from another country. The survey also revealed that media representation plays a significant role in shaping Koreans' perceptions of cultural diversity, often reinforcing stereotypes. More than 54 percent of respondents said they had encountered biased portrayals in television, news or online content, with the most commonly cited prejudices directed at different generations (56.6 percent), religious groups (45.5 percent) and racial minorities (44.2 percent).
