Mapo-gu District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun joined foreign participants Friday afternoon at the waterfront stage of Seoul World Cup Park to make kimchi together at the "Kimchi-Making with Foreigners" event, sharing in the spirit of community giving.
Held as part of the 19th Maponaru Salted Shrimp Festival, the event drew 31 participants, including 23 foreigners and representatives from Seo-Seoul Agricultural Cooperative. The cooperative donated 2,000 kilograms of napa cabbage and aprons, while members of the local women's association also pitched in to help.
Yoo stood side by side with the foreign participants, mixing seasoning into the cabbage and chatting as they worked. The participants got hands-on experience with Korea's traditional kimchi-making culture by preparing the dish themselves.
When asked at an on-site interview to rate the kimchi he had made, Yoo quipped that it was "100 points for effort, about 90 points for taste," before adding, "Today I'm going to learn from the experts and aim for kimchi that scores 100 points on flavor too."
The 385 boxes of kimchi the participants carefully prepared will be distributed to low-income households across Mapo-gu's 16 neighborhoods through local community offices, helping residents get through the winter.
"Kimchi is both a traditional food that represents Korea and a culture of sharing warmth," Yoo said. "I hope the kimchi we made together today will bring comfort to our neighbors — including elderly residents who use senior meal services — and help them through a warm winter."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
