Sejong, 25 November 2025 — On 21 November, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) held a ceremony to mark the 6th anniversary of Kimchi Day (22 November) at the National Folk Museum of Korea in Seoul.
Kimchi Day is a statutory anniversary designated in 2020—the first of its kind in the food sector. The MAFRA holds an event of celebrating Kimchi Day every year to widely promote the excellence of kimchi and its traditional culture, as well as to support the sustainable development of the kimchi industry. This year’s event included an awards presentation for winners of the kimchi making contest and a performance celebrating Kimchi Day.
Following the celebration, “gimjang” (a traditional way of kimchi making) and hands-on experience events were held in the plaza in front of the National Folk Museum of Korea. The events offered foreign tourists visiting the Gyeongbokgung Palace area an opportunity to experience “gimjang” culture and kimchi and showcased the charm of K-kimchi.
In the afternoon, a conference organized by the World Institute of Kimchi took place at the same venue. Experts from various fields discussed the scientific foundations and cultural value that drive the global expansion of kimchi.
Global interest in kimchi has been steadily increasing in recent years, and the export value of kimchi is expected to reach an all-time high this year, following last year’s record. Also, Kimchi Day was officially designated as an anniversary in 16 regions across five countries, including the United States of America and the United Kingdom, helping to widely promote kimchi as the Republic of Korea’s representative traditional food around the world.
