"Red Pepper Paste and Sesame Oil Are Essentials" American Couple Rescues Korean Isolated by Heavy Snowfall

"Korean Food Maniac Including 'First Date Bibimbap'
Learned and Emphasized the Word 'Inyeon' During Visit to Korea"

An American couple who made headlines for offering their bedroom and serving Korean food to nine Korean tourists trapped by a snowstorm in New York State last year has been revealed to be 'Korean food enthusiasts' who keep gochujang and sesame oil on hand.

The New York Times (NYT) introduced the visit of the Campagna couple, Alexander and his wife, who recently traveled to Korea at the invitation of the Korea Tourism Organization, on the 22nd (local time).

Earlier, on December 23 last year, the Campagna couple made headlines for rescuing nine Korean tourists trapped by a snowstorm in Buffalo, New York.

On December 23 last year, Alexander Campagna and his wife, who rescued nine Korean tourists trapped in a heavy snowstorm in Buffalo, New York, were invited by the Korea Tourism Organization to travel in Korea for ten days starting from the 13th.
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

At that time, the Campagna couple provided Korean dishes, including spicy stir-fried pork (jeyuk bokkeum), to the Korean tourists for two nights and three days.

The reason the couple had all the seasonings needed to make jeyuk bokkeum?such as gochujang, red pepper powder, soy sauce, and sesame oil?in their kitchen was because they usually liked Korean food.

Although the couple had never visited Korea before, they had shown great interest in Korean cuisine, choosing bibimbap and pork fried rice from a Korean restaurant in Buffalo as the menu for their first date seven years ago.

They were so interested that they even looked up Korean cooking on YouTube, which is why they had the seasonings ready.

Campagna Couple
Photo by Korea Tourism Organization

During their ten-day visit to Korea, the Campagna couple learned the Korean word 'inyeon' (인연), meaning 'fate' or 'connection,' and emphasized it.

Andrea (43), the wife, asked herself, "How did the Korean tourists trapped by the snowstorm find their way to the streets of Buffalo, and how was it possible for them to seek help from a house that happened to like Korean food and even had seasonings?" and answered, "It was inyeon."

During their visit to Korea, the Campagna couple also learned the word 'jeong' (정), meaning a deep affection or bond, and mentioned that they felt jeong from the Korean travelers.

Andrea said about the Korean tourists she reunited with during the visit, "I feel a strong bond. It feels like reuniting with family."