Why Chairman Chey Tae-won Appears on the 'Hansik' Talk Show

KCCI National Development Project Promoting the Industrialization of Hansik

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Hyung-gil] Chey Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), will appear on a TV talk show to promote Korean cuisine.

The KCCI announced on the 2nd that it has selected "Industrialization of Korean Cuisine" as the theme for "National Development Project Season 2." The National Development Project is an initiative started by the KCCI to seek private-sector solutions to structural problems facing Korean society.

The KCCI explained that the reason for choosing "Industrialization of Korean Cuisine" is that it is a field with high growth potential where innovation can be driven from the private sector. It further elaborated that it aims to find the development direction of Korean cuisine?where self-employed businesses, startups, and large corporations are each struggling?from the perspective of "Korean cuisine as an industry."

According to the Food Industry Statistical Information from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, the global food market has recently shown growth, with the market size expected to exceed $8 trillion in 2021 and $9 trillion by 2024. As of last year, this is more than 13 times the size of the global semiconductor market.

Additionally, an analysis by Kyung Hee University's H&T Analytics Center on the economic ripple effect of Korean cuisine revealed that the Korean food industry generates an economic ripple effect of approximately 23 trillion won annually. This is equivalent to the effect of selling 520,000 cars.

With the recent global popularity of Korean culture, such as BTS and Squid Game, interest in Korean cuisine has greatly increased. Given that domestic innovative food tech companies are aiming to enter the global market, it is considered the perfect timing to promote the industrialization of Korean cuisine.

The KCCI plans to explore various solutions for the successful industrialization of Korean cuisine. First, on the 9th, SBS will air the economic talk show "Sikja Hwaedam" (Food Talk). Businesspeople, chefs, foreigners, the MZ generation, and academic experts will discuss the issues and solutions in various sectors of the Korean food industry.

In particular, Chairman Chey will personally serve as the head of the food panel, synthesizing the panel's opinions and leading the talk. Based on his business experience, he is said to have played a key role in the recording studio atmosphere with his brilliant ideas, wit, and eloquence. "Sikja Hwaedam" will be broadcast nationwide for six weeks through SBS and regional private broadcasters.

Woo Tae-hee, Executive Vice Chairman of the KCCI, said, "We will gather diverse opinions from businesses, academia, and the general public to consider projects that can be promoted at the chamber level and will sequentially introduce them." He added, "We ask for the interest and participation of the public and companies so that National Development Project Season 2 can be successfully carried out."