Washington D.C. recognizes Korea as origin of kimchi

Washington D.C. has joined the three US states of California, Virginia and New York to designate Nov. 22 “Kimchi Day,” and has acknowledged kimchi as a food unique to Korea.

On Tuesday, the council of the District of Columbia, the legislative branch of Washington D.C., unanimously passed a resolution aimed at commemorating and promoting the consumption of the fermented Korean food.

The resolution specified that South Korea is the country of origin of kimchi and recognized its excellence as a health food, alongside the history of the spicy side dish, according to the state-run Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. (aT).

Last February, the State of New York became the third US state to designate the Nov. 22 Kimchi Day after California and Virginia.

In the resolution, Washington D.C. also endorsed the process of preparing and storing kimchi inscribed in 2013 on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Anita Bonds, a Washington D.C. council member, spearheaded the passage of the resolution. She told the state-run aT that the traditional Korean food made from fermented cabbage and radish is as popular in Washington D.C. and nearby areas as in Virginia and New York.

Exports of kimchi to the US soared to a record high of $28.3 million last year, a tenfold jump from $2.8 million in 2011. The US is the kimchi's second-biggest export market after Japan.

The spicy food is the most enjoyed K-food overseas and gained attention as an immunity-boosting dish during the COVID-19 period. It is known to have health benefits such as enhanced immunity and antioxidants when consumed.

South Korea launched its first Kimchi Day in 2020 to promote the consumption of the main side dish of Koreans.

The designation of Kimchi Day in the capital city of the US will raise the status of the K-food in the global food market and drive its exports higher, said Kim Choon-jin, aT's president.

South Korea has been making diplomatic efforts to have kimchi acknowledged as a traditional Korean food, in response to some Chinese media's claim that it is a type of Chinese pickled vegetable.

Write to Jung-Hwang Hwang at jung@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article.