HANSIK Conference 2025: Global Culinary Experts Discuss the Value and the Future of Korean Fermentation Food  

Sejong, 29 October 2025 — The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) and the Korean Food Promotion Institute (KFPI) will hold the HANSIK Conference 2025 on 29 October at Samcheonggak in Seongbuk-dong, Seoul. The conference on “hansik” (Korean cuisine) will be attended by internationally recognised experts in food and beverage, figures involved in the restaurant industry, and members of the press.

Marking its third iteration, this year’s conference will be held under the theme of “The Future of Hansik (Adventurous Table, HANSIK)” and focus on the topic of vegetable fermentation in Korean cuisine and culinary education for future generations. The Hansik Conference is composed of a main conference (29 October) where attendees will also discuss future strategies to promote appreciation of “hansik” worldwide and a hands-on experience programme (27–28 October).

The conference will bring together world-renowned culinary figures, diverse hansik chefs from the Republic of Korea and abroad, related researchers, and academics to discuss the value and future of hansik. The key global figures include Ferran ADRIÀ, a global pioneer of the culinary movement known as “molecular gastronomy” and the founder of the El Bulli Foundation, as well as Toni MASSANÉSS, Director General of the Alícia Foundation, a globally recognised culinary science research institute.

The first part of the main conference on 29 October will feature expert-led sessions on the value of hansik’s culinary heritage and the nurturing of future talent. In the session titled “The Value and Future of Vegetable Fermentation in Korean Cuisine,” speakers including Chef KWON Woo-joong of the two-Michelin-starred Korean restaurant Kwonsooksoo, Chef CHO Hee-suk of the traditional Korean table d’hôte restaurant Korea House, Dr. PARK Chae-lin, Principal Researcher at the World Institute of Kimchi, and Chef PARK Junghyun of the New York restaurant Atomix will discuss the history and principles of vegetable fermentation in hansik, and the potential for Korean fermentation culture to spread worldwide.

In the session titled “Designing the Future of Gastronomy,” Ferran ADRIÀ will present his ideas about how to nurture future talent in hansik based on his experience of having founded the Madrid Culinary Campus in Spain.

In the following session titled “Generational Change, Culinary Innovation,” José AVILLEZ from Portugal, Varun TOTLANI from India, Supakson ‘Ice’ JONGSIRI from Thailand, and Chef KANG Mingoo will explore culinary innovation led by emerging chefs.

The second part of the main conference will focus on creative developments in hansik and building research and educational infrastructure for hansik. In the session titled “A Creative Leap in Gastronomy,” Ferran ADRIÀ will share his views on the importance of creativity and an academic approach, drawing from research cases of the El Bulli Foundation.

In the session titled “The History and Evolution of Gastronomy,” Toni MASSANÉSS will analyse case studies in the growth of global culinary powerhouses, such as France and Spain. He will then present a path forward for hansik research and education systems.

Finally, in the panel discussion titled “The Future of Hansik Research,” researchers from the Republic of Korea and abroad, alongside emerging chefs, will discuss strategies for building research and educational infrastructure for hansik.

Minister SONG Miryung of the MAFRA said: “Hansik is a sustainable culture that harmonises the past, present, and future, and the Korean cuisine culture of making fermented foods is the very essence of hansik. I hope that the conference will serve as a starting point for drawing a blueprint for the future of gastronomy by uniting the philosophy and creativity of hansik.”