Experts from various fields join board of directors

Park Jin-sun (third from left), chairperson of the Sempio Woori Mat Cultural Foundation, poses with board members at the foundation's inaugural general meeting. [Sempio]
Park Jin-sun (third from left), chairperson of the Sempio Woori Mat Cultural Foundation, poses with board members at the foundation's inaugural general meeting. [Sempio]

Sempio announced Friday that CEO Park Jin-sun has established the Sempio Woori Mat Cultural Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Korean food culture.

The foundation was established to mark the company's 80th anniversary. Its mission is to share Sempio's research into Korean flavors and fermentation food culture with society and pass that knowledge on to future generations and the wider world through public-interest activities.

The foundation plans to carry out public-interest projects centered on spreading a culture of cooking enjoyment, researching Korean flavor and fermentation food culture, and advancing sustainable hansik globalization. It will develop educational programs on Korean jang — fermented sauces and pastes — and food culture, and plans to collaborate with Korean cultural centers around the world. The foundation will also run support projects including recipe education aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of Korean restaurants overseas.

A range of experts have joined the foundation's board of directors, including Kim Mi-suk, former director of the Korean Food Culture Hall at the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine; Lee Jae-jeong, former superintendent of education for Gyeonggi Province; Jung Hye-kyung, professor emeritus of food and nutrition at Hoseo University and a leading authority on Korean food culture research; and chef Cho Hee-suk, widely known as the "godmother of hansik."

Since its founding in 1946, Sempio has consistently worked to raise awareness of Korean food culture. Its efforts include a doenjang school and a fermentation school, both in operation since 2006, and the "Jang Project," launched in 2010 to explore the global potential of Korean jang. The company also collaborated with the Alicia research institute in Spain to apply Korean jang to a variety of international cuisines.

"At a time when global interest in K-food is growing, it has become more important than ever to properly communicate the value and appeal of our food culture and help people around the world enjoy it naturally in their daily lives," a foundation official said. "We will consistently carry out activities that contribute to the sustainable globalization of hansik."


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