Abu Dhabi festival celebrates Korean culture, and kimchi

The Korean community in Abu Dhabi as well as other residents gathered at a kimchi-making demonstration in the capital.

Soon Ja Kim, president of the Kimchi Association of South Korea, demonstrates how to prepare cabbage kimchi at a Korean festival in Abu Dhabi at the National Theatre. Ravindranath K / The National

ABU DHABI // When Younjoo Ryou moved from South Korea to Abu Dhabi three years ago, there was just one Korean restaurant in town.

But, just as the Korean population in Abu Dhabi has grown from 5,000 in 2010 to nearly 15,000 today, so has the number of authentic Korean restaurants.

“Now you can find one, two, three, four or five – just in Abu Dhabi, at least five,” said Mrs Park, whose husband Hyokeon Park is the cultural attache for the embassy of the Republic of Korea.

“And they’re becoming more traditional. Before it was a little bit fusion, but as more Koreans come here the food is becoming more authentic.”

One of the stars of the Korean culinary scene, kimchi master Kim Soon-ja, was the main attraction yesterday at the annual Korea Festival with her dishes of seasoned vegetables.

The three-day festival, now in its third year, attracted a record number of visitors to the National Theatre, said Korean ambassador Kwon Hae-ryong.

“I think the best way for the UAE and Korea to understand each other is to exchange culture,” said Mr Hae-ryong, who launched the festival when he arrived here in 2013.

Diplomatic ties between the countries were established in 1980 and strengthened in 2009, when a Korean company was chosen to build the Barakah nuclear power plant, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2017.

By the end of this year, the embassy plans to open the Korean Cultural Centre on two floors in one of the twofour54 buildings near the Ministries Complex. For Emirati university student Nouf Nawaf, who took part in Mrs Soon-ja’s kimchi-making demonstration, the opportunity to learn about Korean culture is “very great”.

“I’m so interested in the culture, in the language,” said Ms Nawaf, 21. “I always liked eating kimchi and it’s my first time trying to make it, so it was a very, very amazing opportunity to make one by myself.”